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State lawmakers pressured on universal background checks

March 11, 2013 @ 5:30 pm (Updated: 5:35 am - 3/12/13 )

MarkKelly.jpg
While Mark Kelly shows how easy it is to buy an assault weapon, Governor Jay Inslee recruits his wife and former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords to pressure Washington lawmakers to pass a universal background checks bill. (Mark Kelly Facebook photo)
With a key cut-off deadline nearing Wednesday, Governor Jay Inslee is pressuring lawmakers to pass universal background checks for private gun sales and through gun shows.

After losing support from a lawmaker who sponsored the bill, Inslee asked former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords to call Representative Maureen Walsh, from Walla Walla.

Giffords was shot in the head at a supermarket near Tucson. She has since become an advocate for stricter gun laws.

Maureen Walsh was one of two Republicans who signed onto the measure to require background checks for all gun sales.

"Be courageous. Be bold," Giffords said in a message for Walsh.

Incidentally, Walsh was not pleased that the governor gave Giffords her personal cellphone number. Inslee's staff has apologized.

Walsh says she's not changing her mind on the legislation.

The Washington House bill states:

The legislature finds that there is broad consensus that certain people, such as felons, minors, and involuntarily committed persons, should not be eligible to possess firearms for public safety reasons.

Background checks are an effective and easy mechanism to ensure that firearms are not sold to those who are prohibited from possessing them.

However, because background check requirements apply only to transfers by licensed firearms dealers, many firearms are currently sold without a background check, allowing felons and other ineligible persons to gain access to them.

The legislature intends by this act to strengthen our background check system by broadening the requirement for a background check to apply to all firearms sales in the state.

The bill would eliminate an exception that allows purchases from private, unlicensed sellers to occur without a background check.

Walsh says after talking with constituents, she now she thinks universal checks will just make it harder for law-abiding gun owners to make purchases.

Lawmakers estimate they have 47 votes in favor of the universal background checks. They need 50 to pass the state House.

Meanwhile, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, husband of Gabby Giffords, recently purchased an assault weapon to make a point about the ease of background checks for gun owners.

Kelly said on Facebook, "It is a pretty easy thing to do."

On his Facebook page, he says he bought an AR-15, one of the 157 military-style weapons that would be banned under a bill pending before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The panel is set to consider three gun bills Tuesday, including the proposed assault weapons ban authored by Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

Kelly also said he plans to buy a weapon at a gun show and to sell a weapon and will write about those experiences as well.

By LINDA THOMAS

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Comments (126)


  • Add A Comment

  • Ron_Spins wrote...
    N.I.C.S check is what a background check is
    March 11, 2013 7:03 pm
    http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/nics
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Fuego wrote...
    Here's an FYI to Olympia...
    March 12, 2013 5:04 am
    Criminals don't use a background check so how is this going to keep guns out of their hands? That's what I thought...now back to your mndless thinking.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • WAmovesRight wrote...
    Jus say no...
    March 12, 2013 5:31 am
    ... no more laws... just enforce the ones we have.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • xplanes wrote...
    What felon is going to pay retail price of $500 or more?
    March 12, 2013 5:33 am
    It is a myth that guns used by criminals are being bought at gun shows or through private sales. Why would you pay $500+ for a handgun you can buy stolen and untraceable back to you for $50+. The idea that otherwise law abiding citizens would become criminals after buying a gun is insulting and stupid. Further, that type of crime could not be prevented by universal background checks because the person WAS law abiding to begin with. The only reason for this bill is to build a database of gun owners for a date yet to come where a ban will require them to produce a gun, an explanation for not having run the background check or the information of who owns it now. They wont need to go door to door with the Sheriff if they have that information. They will just issue a summons and then a warrant. Gun owners know this. They know from the rhetoric that the gun ban is the real desire and from past experience they know cities and states will pursue it.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • daveismenotyou wrote...
    Linda or anybody who knows,
    March 12, 2013 5:38 am
    I still don't understand how this works on a private basis. If I want to buy from Joe Blow who lives next door, he has to do a background check on me? How about if I buy from my dad? What kind of check? The lamo one from the State Patrol or what? Do we have to produce some piece of paper from ATF? This sounds like a lot of do something disease that doesn't really have a plan to back it up.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • calapete wrote...
    yes to background checks
    March 12, 2013 5:42 am
    it has overwhelming public support. Its a shame Rep Walsh is ignoring her constituents, but not surprising for a Republican who probably takes in NRA money.

    The fact is, gun ownership is declining. There is a small minority who are buying more guns and are against background checks.

    No pandering to the special interest group anymore.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • bigdogina4x4 wrote...
    Where did you get your info?
    March 12, 2013 11:17 am
    Gun ownership in the USA is higher than ever.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • RonJ wrote...
    pete it has not nearly
    March 12, 2013 2:15 pm
    the amount of support that you claim. Just because you say it doesn't make it true. Your facts are skewed badly on gun ownership which you would know with the most basic of research. Now, I propose we do a background check, create and database and give out permission slips for all "The People" who wish to exercise God Given rights.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • RonJ wrote...
    UBC
    March 14, 2013 12:04 am
    Failed
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Kelly said on Facebook, "It is a pretty easy thing to do."
    March 12, 2013 5:48 am
    You passed the background check?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Declining Calapete? NO! Just the number of people buying guns and ammo has slowed.
    March 12, 2013 5:52 am
    One reason is that you cannot find anymore of the more popular guns and ammo out there. It has all been bought up. Just like your regime saying the unemployment has dropped. It simply dropped less than their cooked books numbers indicated.

    We Americans are still Obama'ed!

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • calapete wrote...
    the same special interest group is buying more guns
    March 12, 2013 7:36 am
    you don't have New gun owners. Gun ownership is dropping. Its just a small minority of scared men, conspiracy theorists and the just plain dumb rednecks who own all the guns.

    The majority of Americans don't and won't. The majority of Americans know a gun in your house is much more likely to be used against you or your family than against the boogey man.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • bigdogina4x4 wrote...
    Again, where did you get this info?
    March 12, 2013 11:20 am
    MILLIONS (yes millions), have bought a gun for the first time in the last few years. Permitb applications at local PDs are exploding in numbers. How do you explain this, a few local nut cases are appling for multiple permits?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • RonJ wrote...
    petey
    March 12, 2013 2:24 pm
    What "special interest group" is buying "all the guns"? Over half the households in this country own 300 million guns. Are you seriously trying to convince us that there is a special interest group with 150+ million members? "The Majority, The Majority, The Majority, blah blah blah blowhard blow blow blow" How can you know what a majority of Americans know? Are you clairvoyant? Dude, seriously, put down the Hopium-laced Kool Aid.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • murr wrote...
    calapete wrote...
    March 12, 2013 6:03 am
    yes she might, then so did the teachers union investment fund, in the gun making company's. I did not see them turn their profit back to them, as if that dollar bill looked, just like the rest of them, or was it dirty money ???? Al Gore did the same, none of its good, unless they can gain from it themselves. She might have as much bacxkbone as Al. Spineless. Like the current admin.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • RonJ wrote...
    Petey
    March 12, 2013 2:25 pm
    You ARE smoking hopium! I knew it!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }