Gov. Inslee signs bill to ban bump stocks in Washington state

The bill I signed today to ban bump stock devices is just one modest step to help prevent gun violence. Proud to have Washington join other states to ban these devices that have already taken too many lives. pic.twitter.com/9UgmpKN87W

— Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) March 6, 2018

In a big win for gun control advocates, Governor Jay Inslee has signed a bill to ban bump stocks.

“The bill I signed today to ban bump stock devices is just one modest step to help prevent gun violence,” Gov. Inslee tweeted. “Proud to have Washington join other states to ban these devices that have already taken too many lives.”

The new law makes it illegal to manufacture or sell bump stocks beginning in July.

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Then, next July, it becomes illegal to own or possess them. Bump stocks will be deemed contraband, allowing police to seize them.

That was a big issue for several Republicans, including Senator Doug Ericksen during a debate.

“What you are doing is you’re creating the ability for law enforcement to come into your home — law-abiding citizens — to search for things you may or may not have, which is a terrible thing. And you will not prevent any type of activity like what happened in Las Vegas,” he said.

The law includes a buy-back program, where people forced to surrender their bump stocks will get $150 when they turn them in.

The ban was approved by the state Legislature in February.

Lawmakers in Washington state pushed for the ban in response to October’s mass shooting in Las Vegas where 58 people were killed. Stephen Paddock’s arsenal included 12 firearms with bump stocks.

The argument against the weapon attachment is that they make semi-automatic rifles fire similar to automatic rifles, which are illegal. Bump stocks didn’t exist when the National Firearms Act was enacted or amended.

After the massacre in Las Vegas, Gov. Inslee called for the ban of the attachment.

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“This session the Legislature needs to ban bump-stocks and other devices that turn legal semi-automatic firearms into lethal fully-automatic machine guns. We must make sure people intent on causing mass destruction and loss of life won’t be aided by lax laws that give them unfettered access to military-style weaponry,” he said in October. “To those who say we can’t talk about machine gun massacres right after the massacre: I’m done waiting for the ‘right time’ to talk about it. The ‘can’t talk about it now’ crowd is killing us.”

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