Rantz: WA Democrats ban ‘hyper-masculine’ guns while freeing criminals

Washington Democrats took the state one step closer to banning all guns they falsely label “assault weapons.” These lawmakers do not care that they’re making life less safe for all of us. Indeed, the same lawmakers banning weapons are implementing policies to keep violent criminals out of jail.

House Bill 1240 bans what Democrats define as “assault weapons,” which is a term that doesn’t mean anything. But its been legitimized by left-wing media outlets eager to help push a ban. The bill bans the manufacture, importation, distribution, selling, and offering for sale of 62 specific rifles “regardless of which company produced and manufactured the firearm.” They’re derided as being promoted as “hyper-masculine… in [a] manner that overtly appeals to troubled young men intent on becoming the next mass shooter.”

The bill also bans any semi-automatic rifle with an overall length of less than 30 inches. They basically banned guns they think are scary looking in pictures online, but have never even seen in real life. Thanks to the restrictions on threaded barrels, grips, magazines, suppressors (which Democrats think are for hitmen), etc., thousands of guns will be banned.

Washington has neither an assault weapons problem nor a mass shooting crisis. But gun-confiscating Democrats are cheered on by like-minded voters and media members who are so anti-gun they don’t realize they’re only disarming the good guys.

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Dangerous times ahead

The guns Democrats will ban are not used in even a fraction of the crimes plaguing Washington cities like Seattle and Tacoma. It’s why lawmakers only reference one local shooting in Washington state and focus on Uvalde, Las Vegas, and Nashville. Those are tragic, of course, but have nothing to do with Washington state.

Local gang members and other degenerates are using illegally purchased or stolen handguns to kill people, not AR-15s. Using the same argument that gun bans protect lives, handguns and shotguns are next (the current bill even bans certain semiautomatic handguns and shotguns). But Democrats aren’t yet ready to ban handguns for the very reason that they know criminals use them.

The irony of Democrat efforts is even more tragic when you consider they’ve implemented policies to keep criminals out of jail, even when they use guns. Democrats deem criminals to be “disproportionately” black and Latino, a lazy way to imply racism without having to prove it. Activist lawmakers blame crimes on systemic white supremacy. In other words, these criminals were forced into committing crimes thanks to white supremacy culture that permeates every American institution. So Democrats must go easy on them.

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Democrats go easy on school shooters and drug dealers

HB 1268 fulfills a Democrat promise to restrict sentence enhancements, which adds years to jail sentencing based on the severity or circumstances of the crime.

Under current law, a youth involved in a felony gang-related crime would earn a harsher penalty than if the crime was committed without gang ties. The Democrat-backed bill, however, completely eliminates that sentence enhancement. Finally, HB 1268 allows firearm and deadly weapons enhancements, impaired driving enhancements, and sexual motivation enhancements to be eligible for partial confinement and earned early release. As troubling, the bill eliminates sentence enhancements for drug dealing in “protected zones,” which include school campuses and on school buses.

When a criminal is hit with multiple sentencing enhancements, current law mandates they are served consecutively (“stacking”). Under HB 1268, firearms and deadly weapons enhancements are no longer subject to mandatory stacking. This position is endorsed by the very same Democrats who voted for the “assault weapons” ban.

Meanwhile, State Rep. David Hackney (D-Tukwila) is the primary sponsor of HB 1189. It aims to dismantle and rebuild the Clemency and Pardons Board (CPB). Then, using new rules for conditional commutations, the bill allows the newly formed CPB to give early release to dangerous felons who haven’t finished their sentences. He claims they are victims of “racism” and “poverty.”

Hackney previously introduced a bill that would ban using a drive-by shooting as a basis for elevating a first-degree murder charge to aggravated first-degree murder. The bill was retroactive, lessening punishment for those already found guilty in drive-by shooting cases. It even would have released felons from jail if they committed their violent act when they were under 21 years old. Under pressure, Democrats retreated on this “equity” bill.

WA Democrat State Senator Patty Kuderer (clueless on guns) says the state has a gun emergency and that Democrat's gun ban bill (which bans thousands of guns) must be implemented immediately to save lives.

The guns they're banning are seldom used in *any* murders in the state. pic.twitter.com/0Gk2fkxB9D

— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) April 10, 2023

Crime is on the rise and we’re sitting ducks

Crime is surging across the state thanks to Democrat policies. The vehicular pursuit ban allows smash-and-grab robberies to soar while we’re seeing unprecedented levels of stolen cars. Restorative justice diversion programs over incarceration means Democrats are letting criminals get endless chances, often waiting until a murder before finally putting them in jail, even with all the warning signs crystal clear. Once they’re in jail, Democrats push for early release. This is madness.

Owning what Democrats consider assault weapons doesn’t just impact hobbyists, but it means we’re all less safe. Does anyone reasonably think a criminal won’t illegally import guns on the banned list? They’ll bring them in to sell because Democrats will have just created a market for the trafficking of “assault weapons,” the way drug decriminalization did for fentanyl. That hasn’t worked out well for addicts, and this won’t work well for the rest of us. And knowing they won’t likely encounter the banned guns makes them more appealing to use against anyone with a handgun.

The only ones with access to these firearms before cops can arrive will be the criminals. This is how Democrats seem to want it.

Rantz: WA Democrats’ bill says it’s ‘racial equity’ to go easy on drive-by murderers

Listen to the Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast. Follow @JasonRantz on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Check back frequently for more news and analysis.

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