Rep. Jim Walsh issues statement in response to governor and attorney general’s gun control press conference
CONTACT: Kelley Payne, Senior Public Information Officer | 360-786-7761
Rep. Jim Walsh issues statement in response to governor and attorney general’s gun control press conference
Washington State Representative Jim Walsh, 19th Legislative District, issued the following statement in response to the governor and the state attorney general's press conference on gun control today in Seattle:
“The biggest problem with the governor and state attorney general's proposals is that they are a waste of taxpayers' time and money. The U.S. Supreme Court, in its recent Bruen decision, has clearly ruled that state gun-control schemes like these are unconstitutional — and unlawful. They will eventually be overturned by federal courts.
“Washington families have said repeatedly they want Olympia to focus on the immediate problems our state faces: rampant abuse of fentanyl and other hard drugs, skyrocketing property crime rates, out-of-control costs of living, struggling public schools and taxes that are too high. The governor, state attorney general, and their allies need to stop wasting state resources and join the rest of us in focusing on what matters.
“These performative proposals also run afoul of the Washington State Constitution's Article 1, Section 24 — which states plainly, that '[t]he right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired….' Any fair-minded person can see that banning an entire category of rifles and demanding a special state permit to buy any firearm impair that right.
“Finally, these unconstitutional actions don't make any Washingtonian better off. If the governor and state attorney general want to make schools safer, they should join us in establishing the policy and money to put one School Resource Officer (SRO) in every public school building in the state. That will actually do something to improve school safety and the quality of our kids' lives.
“Let's stop wasting time and come together to make Washington a safer, cleaner and more affordable place to live for everyone in this beautiful state.”
