Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signs House Bill 1240, which prohibits the manufacture, importation, distribution and sale of semi-automatic assault-style weapons in the state, Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at the Capitol in Olympia, Washington. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Yesterday, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed three new gun control bills into law including a broadly written “assault weapons” ban. As the AP wrote . . .

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed a trio of bills meant to address gun violence Tuesday, one banning the sale of certain semi-automatic rifles, one imposing a 10-day waiting period on firearms purchases and one clearing the way for lawsuits against gun makers or sellers in certain cases.

A crowd of gun-control activists and Democratic lawmakers broke into cheers as Inslee signed the measures, which he said would not solve all gun violence but would save lives.

“Just because they don’t solve all the problems does not mean the state of Washington does not take action,” Inslee said. “Inaction against gun violence is unacceptable.”

Literally minutes after Inslee affixed his signature to the bills, the Firearms Policy Coalition and the Second Amendment Foundation filed a lawsuit challenging the new restrictions.

From the FPC’s press release . . .

Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) announced that it has filed a federal Second Amendment lawsuit challenging the State of Washington’s unconstitutional ban on so-called “assault weapons,” minutes after it was signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee. Case documents for Hartford v. Ferguson are available atFPCLaw.org.

“The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms.” U.S. Const. amend. II. This Amendment guarantees a fundamental right to keep and bear common firearms for defense of self and family and for other lawful pursuits.'” The Complaint states. “But the State has enacted, and Defendants have authority to enforce, a flat prohibition on the manufacture, import, distribution, sale, and offering for sale of many common firearms—tendentiously labeled “assault weapons”—by ordinary citizens (“the Washington Ban”), making it a crime for law-abiding citizens to exercise their fundamental right to keep and bear such arms. In so doing, the State of Washington has criminalized one of the most common and important means by which its citizens can exercise their fundamental right to self-defense. By banning manufacturing, importation, distribution, and sale of common semiautomatic rifles, the State has barred law-abiding residents from legally acquiring common rifles and has deprived them of an effective means of self-defense and their fundamental individual right to keep and bear arms.”

“Today’s filing is yet another step forward in FPC’s aggressive multi-state litigation campaign against those states that attempt to enforce immoral and unconstitutional restrictions on protected arms,” said FPC Director of Legal Operations Bill Sack. “Washington State lawmakers are playing politics with the natural and constitutional rights of their constituents. FPC will tirelessly work to undo these efforts that undermine the fundamental rights of the People.”

FPC is joined in this lawsuit by the Second Amendment Foundation.

The NSSF didn’t let the latest blue state gun rights infringement go unnoticed either.

NSSF, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, condemns Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s signature of HB 1240, the law that bans the sale and transfer of Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs) and many other firearms. The law is clearly unconstitutional under the U.S. Supreme Court’s holdings in both the Heller and Bruen decisions. NSSF will file a legal challenge to this law with Clement & Murphy, PLLC.

“There is no doubt that this law signed by Gov. Jay Inslee unconstitutionally denies Second Amendment rights to law-abiding citizens in Washington state,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President & General Counsel. “NSSF worked in good faith with state legislators to warn them that this legislation runs afoul of Constitutionally-guaranteed Second Amendment rights to possess commonly owned firearms. Governor Inslee and Washington’s Attorney General Bob Ferguson put politics ahead of their duty to defend the Constitution and protect the rights of their citizens. NSSF will immediately sue Attorney General Ferguson to have this law declared unconstitutional.”

The NSSF filed their own lawsuit challenging the gun industry liability law . . .

And Tacoma-based Aero Precision issued this statement . . .

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58 COMMENTS

  2. Will gladly donate to these filings to slow down the communist takeover of America.

    We left Washington with everything we own on Monday and now half way to Arizona as I write this. The cities in Washington have become unsafe and people are gonna need their weapon of choice to protect their property and loved ones.

    Inslee and his AG destroyed a free way of life with his COVID lockdowns and masking. He also closed schools, which by the way, in a state with high earthquake risks, had no workable emergency plan to teach students during closures because of an inept teacher union.

    The state is in a Chicago style decay.

    • Aero Precision is my go to for AR-.308 receivers, AR-15 M4E1 upper receivers, etc. I do not have to “think about” where to go because I know. That said I was a bit disappointed when seeing “we think” used and repeated in the Aero letter. I do not have to think the WA ban is unconstitutional because I know it is and so should Aero Precision. They should have been assertive and took the opportunity to define Gun Control by its History of Rot for the clapping seals surrounding that worthless pos they call a governor. Actually Aero should have defined Gun Control long before…obviously.

      • TRex not so long ago had some progressive minor, accumulating to major failures on their big boy Aero AyR doing a long term test. Finally refusing to go into battery at all after some parts failures leading up to the final curtain.

        Possibly a fluke, but… The optics aren’t exactly inspirational.

        Agree that Aero should’ve been much more forceful and direct about the Unconstitutionality. Inslee needs a short drop and a fast stop at the end of a rope as is apropos the prescribed punishment for traitors.

    • When I moved here 17+ years ago, I remember reading how Seattle wanted to be a Chicago CLASS City. Not sure what they meant?, guessing culture, arts, business; well they got the business ALL RIGHT! As in the garbage that plagues many larger cities. Yep, and the state overall (thank goodness for the outskirts and wilderness) is heading into a shambles of California/Illinois style absurdity. Here’s hoping we can abolish all the Infringements that were recently signed, and the previous 10 round limit. There should be NO reason a new firearm not banned by Federal law, should be banned for sale in any state. These mini dictator style state governments need to be stopped.

      • Yup.Clear violation of the Interstate Commerce Clause of the US Constitution.
        But when didnbeing legal ever direct JayZee and his ugly sidekick Fergui?

      • even CBS carried a segment on urban crime tonight…focusing on DC…and highlighting just how criminals with many priors keep getting released back into society…maybe even the left is starting to catch on?

      • Ive been known to do a little knitting. Well i put a button back onto a pair of slacks once. Does that count?

        By the way my comment was in jest. I get the feeling you’re not quite the jestful type though

        • aq…Signing a Gun Control bill into law was not done in jest so why on earth would you ever want to jest around?

        • mocking and ridicule and scorn are powerful tools in some circumstances. Even that knucklehead Saul Alinsky put that category of communication into his list of things to do to promote and emplace his radical revolution ideas.

          I’ve been delighted to see more and more “normal” folk taking them and using them against the likes of JayZee and Fergui
          and you are correct… this move by Washington’s “dynamic duo” is anything BUT constitutional, fair, rational, effective, legal.. but they just don’t care.
          Let us hope the Fed courts WILL make them care.
          Next up should be a lawsuit agsinst them jointly and severally for the perjury they are performing in the signing of these bills. NONE of which are even remotely lawful under either State of federal law, which both of them swore under penalty of perjury to defend and uphold and enforce.

      • I hear they give them free ice cream in Seattle.

        Molly Moons. The place that calls tipping racist and discriminates against cops (not that I care for cops, but if they are not in uniform how tf would they know?) Typical leftist business practices.

  5. All these morons can do is pass unconstitutional laws that affect the most law abiding members of society. But whats the point of being “law abiding” anymore? They do nothing to punish those who aren’t law abiding in any other manner, why should I continue to play the game of constantly shifting laws and morality, and frankly, discrimination?

    Perhaps Washingtons supreme court will be as brave and introspective as Oregon’s, and Benitez’s CA ruling comes out soon. The left coast is unlikely to see this decline stop without intervention from the Courts it seems.

    • I have an old friend who lives in eastern Washington. He’s a “big” gun guy. Fight the power Paul!

    • “They do nothing to punish those who aren’t law abiding in any other manner, why should I continue to play the game of constantly shifting laws and morality, and frankly, discrimination?”

      You know why. Unless you fit their narrative they will crucify you. When you break that law make sure your latest social media posts excoriate Trump and make sure you are wearing a rainbow flag and have dyed your hair purple.

    • “…why should I continue to play the game of constantly shifting laws and morality…”

      We should be able to think that way, but that Soros prosecutor cash is selective. Remember Rittenhouse. Be a good guy with a gun, and they’ll be all over you like chickens on a June bug.

      • But being a string out junkie squatting in someone’s private residence is a-ok. F these clowns.

        I’m looking at you, Turd Ferguson.

  7. I look at that picture and see one innocent person and a bunch of traitorous scum. Fuck those people.

  8. Washington State is a “red communist” state. California is a “red communist” state. Oregon is a “red communist” state. I refuse to use a color change from the red communist New York Times newspaper. Which they printed several years ago. The Communist flag is red. Changing the definitions of words and phrases is what communists do.

    Now you can shoot up crystal meth in public to improve your sexual experience, in a red communist state. You can urinate and defecate in public. You can enjoy your legal recreational marijuana in a red communist state. But no guns for you.

    It was a trade to get all that “freedom you demanded” for so long now. Along with the ability to refuse to accept the responsibility and the consequences of your actions.

    • “It was a trade to get all that “freedom you demanded” for so long now. Along with the ability to refuse to accept the responsibility and the consequences of your actions.”

      It wasn’t a trade. It was the plan. It’s so much cheaper to give you clean needles and a cubicle to shoot up and let you die a slow death than to provide counseling and rehab facilities to make you whole again. Six months from now you are a statistic that nobody remembers. To put it bluntly the sooner you die the better.

      • The powers that be recognized that there is a “substantial population” in this country that “is soft”. And all they care about are this are the “soft things”. They’re not interested in the hard difficult struggles. That every person has to go through. They want to avoid all that. Just give them their “bread and circuses” and they will be happy.

        A religious person might say that these people made a pact with the devil. To have all of their most license desires fulfilled. And it’s the non-drug users who have to pay the price, to have these people’s desires fulfilled. It’s the Hard-working taxpayers who have to pay financially and mentally for the criminal activity of drug users.

        A religious person might say that these people made a pact with the devil. To have all of their most license desires fulfilled. And it’s the non-drug users who have to pay the price to have these people’s desires fulfilled are. It’s the Hard-working taxpayers who have to pay financially and mentally for the criminal activity of drug users.

        And it’s libertarianism that is essentially responsible for this. Because libertarianism avoids responsibility, the consequences, and the individual accountability for these people, who want their desires fulfilled.

  9. The idiot that uses a gun to hold up a gas station is really no different from a Democrat in Washington state. Neither one is interested in obeying law.

  10. The Silent Majority Foundation (https://www.smfjb.org) also filed suit within hours of Inslee signing this incredibly unconstitutional bill. SMF filed in state court in Grant County. The WA state constitution protects a right to bear arms (which implies a right to keep/purchase) in Article 1, Section 24. That will be the basis of the SMF lawsuit.

    • Unfortunately, that will fail, because our state Supreme Court rubber stamps whatever the Democrats want to do. As far as they’re concerned, the state Constitution says what they need it to say, no more, no less.

      • Carlos is correct. The Washington State Supreme court is owned by the state employee unions. Proof was the recent ruling that a capital gains tax is not an income tax.

  11. When these foolish laws are ruled unconstitutional, the impeachments should begin for breaking their sworn oaths.

  12. KEEP AND BARE ARMS DIDN’T SAY WHAT TYPE . BAN ONE KEEP ANOTHER .
    NOT THE GUN , IT’S THE PERSON , CRAZY HUMAN . RUIN IT FOR LAW-ABIDING .

    STILL I BELIEVE SHOULD HAVE TO BE 21 OR OLDER TO BUY ANTHING LARGER THAN A 22LR OR 22 WMR . ANY LARGER CALIBER , GO JOIN THE MILITARY IF UNDER 21 . I DID AND GOT PAID FOR SERVING MY COUNTRY ,
    INSTEAD , DADDY MOMIE I NEED MONEY TO BUY A ….., NO JOHNNY , GET OUT OF THE HOUSE , MAKE ALIVING FOR YOURSELF BUY YOUR OWN STUFF .
    O NEVER MIND , STILL CAN’T STOP CRAZY OR DRUG LORDS …

  13. With the entire Left Coast joining together in disarming its people, the pending invasion of the USA by China will go much more smoothly.

  14. “KEEP AND BARE ARMS DIDN’T SAY WHAT TYPE … STILL I BELIEVE SHOULD HAVE TO BE 21 OR OLDER TO BUY ANTHING LARGER THAN A 22LR OR 22 WMR .”

    Why? Just as the Second Amendment doesn’t say what type of arms, it also doesn’t specify a minimum age of 21, either.

  15. The mandatory training part of the law as well as the 10 day wait will probably remain and not be struck down by the courts. Other states already have such laws.

    I think the assault rifle ban will take years to move through the courts and of course Washington then may put a incensing tax on getting an assault rifle which could be way above the price an average citizen could afford. In other words they would not ban assault rifles but make them so expensive the average person would not be able to own one.

    Washington already has Universal Background Checks i.e. on all gun sales including used second hand guns and the law has not been ruled unconstitutional by the courts.

    The part of the law that lets the firearms manufactures be sued again may take years to move through the courts despite a Federal Law protecting manufactures from most lawsuits.

    • LOL may want to see the Suddaby decision and what it means for the 2nd circuit and if challenged probably the country.

    • “Washington then may put a incensing tax on getting an assault rifle”

      I’ll pay extra for a little NAG CHOMPA.
      You idiot.

    • Still supporting poll taxes and literacy tests I see, dacian. You not-z’s are predictable.

    • “…then may put a incensing tax on getting an assault rifle…”

      What’s an “assault rifle?”

      “Washington already has Universal Background Checks i.e. on all gun sales including used second hand guns and the law has not been ruled unconstitutional by the courts.”

      And it’s working sooooooo well.

      The 2020 crime rate in Washington, DC is 463 (City-Data.com crime index), which is 1.8 times higher than the U.S. average. It was higher than in 95.9% U.S. cities.

      https://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Washington-District-of-Columbia.html

      After reaching a low in 2012, murders have been trending upwards since.

      Study: DC gun crimes involve ‘small number’ of people

      The National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform looked at the numbers for homicides and nonfatal shooting in D.C. in 2019 and 2020, and found that “most gun violence is tightly concentrated on a small number of very high-risk young Black male adults that share a common set of risk factors.”

      Just the kind of people that would conduct a private firearm transfer at an FFL, amirite?

      • Yes, the article is talking about Washington State, but the same UBC policy is in effect in the nation’s capitol and is demonstrably a failure.

        I think I should go lay down for a while, or I might be talking about George Washington in my next post. DOH!

    • taxing guns may be the easiest thing to defeat…in fact, that element of the NFA may soon be called into question…

  16. waiting for fbi-affiliated miner’s useless a** to be flushed, an obiden will do or say anything, see “miner49er” comments

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