GOAL Post 2018-1
Legislative Update from Olympia 5 January 2018
RALLY IN OLY FRIDAY 12 JANUARY
LEGISLATURE CONVENES MONDAY, 8 JANUARY (60 DAY SESSION)
DEMOCRATS IN COMPLETE CONTROL
BILLS HELD OVER FROM 2017
NEW GUN BILLS PRE-FILED
LEGISLATIVE TUTORIAL
LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR
NEXT WEEK’S HEARING SCHEDULE
SENATE GUN BILL HEARING MONDAY 15 JANUARY
LEGISLATOR CONTACT INFORMATION
HOW TO TESTIFY AT A PUBLIC HEARING
PUBLIC HEARING VERSUS EXECUTIVE SESSION
(This will be a long GOAL Post as I have to describe the environment and the processes involved for new readers. Future issues will be shorter. Also, keep in mind that GOAL Post focuses on gun law only, we do not cover hunting issues. The Hunters Heritage Council does that well. I normally post GP on Friday evenings to summarize that week’s activities and provide a forecast for the next. I’ll be at the SHOT show in Las Vegas the week of the 22nd, so that one may come late.)
First business first: a gun rights rally will be held on the Capitol Campus next Friday, January 12th, put on by Rick Halle of the Gun Rights Coalition. It will begin at 9 a.m. and continue likely for an hour or more, with both outside and legislative speakers. (Yes, it’s a Friday, and unlike the people bussed in to attend many liberal rallies, gunnies have to work. Are your gun rights worth a day off?) After the formal presentation, attendees are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the campus layout (the Capitol, or “legislative” building where floor sessions are conducted, as well as the John L. O’Brien House Office Building, the John A. Cherberg Senate Office Building, and the Irv Newhouse Senate Office Building. This is a great opportunity to locate your two representatives’ and one senator’s office and introduce yourself to their legislative aides. Hopefully, over the coming two months they’ll become familiar with your name and maybe even your face! (Gun bill hearing in Senate Law & Justice three days later. See the last item in the narrative.
The legislature convenes on Monday, January 8th, for its “short” (60 day) session. This is a continuation of the 65th biennium, which started in January 2017. If their work is not completed, they can be called back by the governor for a 30-day special session, as happened last year with THREE back-to-back special sessions.
For the past several sessions control of the Senate has been held by the Republicans, thanks to conservative Democrat Senator Tim Sheldon (D-35) who “organizes with Republicans,” just as Vermont’s Bernie Sanders and Maine’s Angus King do with Democrats in the U.S. Senate. That one seat majority was critical in keeping anti-gun bills off the Senate floor. Unfortunately, those days are gone. The Republicans lost the seat in the 45th District in the Special Election held in November. This means Democrats chair all of the committees in both House and Senate, and have at least a one or two seat majority in each committee. And while a small handful of individual Democrat legislators are pro-gun, party policy is definitely anti-gun, anti-rights.
The House is still split 50 Democrats – 48 Republicans.
Because this is simply “part 2” of a two-year legislative period, all bills filed and not passed in last years’ session are up for play this year, as well as new bills filed. 29 bills (19 House, 10 Senate) remain in the hopper from last year. Most will not likely be touched (especially the pro-gun bills), but any or all COULD be brought into play.
In addition, since early December several new gun-related bills have been filed for action this session. In the House, HB 2293 (Kagi, D-32) bans possession of firearms at day care centers; HB 2306 (Van Werven, R-42) allows veterans with CPLs to carry concealed on community college campuses; and HB 2329 (Walsh, R-19) strengthens the current CPL privacy law. In the Senate, SB5992 (Van De Wege, D-24) bans certain “trigger devices” – e.g. bump-fire-stocks, etc, and SB 6049 (Frockt, D-3) bans “high capacity magazines” – e.g any magazine that holds more than ten rounds – to include handgun magazines (existing possession is grandfathered, with restrictions) .
A complete list of bills under consideration is included below in the “BILL STATUS” section. It also contains the bill’s prime sponsor, the current status of the bill (committee location) and the GOAL position on the bill. Committee abbreviations are provided at the bottom of that section. As this is written there are currently 34 gun bills available for consideration/action.
For those new to legislative affairs, here’s how the process works: When a bill is filed in the House or Senate (or both, simultaneously, called “companion bills”) it is assigned to a policy committee. Most gun-related bills go to the Senate Law & Justice Committee in the Senate. In the House, it’s a little more complicated, as it may be sent to House Judiciary or House Public Safety (most will go to Judiciary). Public hearings may be held, after which the bill may (or may not) be voted out of committee. If the bill has a fiscal impact (usually an expenditure of more than $50,000), it must then go to Senate Ways & Means or one of a couple of House fiscal committees. The bill then goes to the Senate or House Rules Committee, where it must be voted on to pass out to the floor for a full vote.
After a bill passes the Senate or House, it then goes over to the opposite chamber (House or Senate), where the whole process starts over again. If the bill passes the second chamber in the same form it passed the first, it goes to the governor for signature (or veto or partial veto). If changes are made in the second chamber, it goes back to the first for concurrence. It may also go to a conference committee from both chambers to resolve differences. The final version must pass both chambers.
The bill then goes to the Governor, who may sign it into law, veto (kill) the bill, or sign a partial veto (killing just selected section(s) of the bill). The governor may also allow a bill to become law without his signature. Most signed bills take effect on 1 July, although bills with an “emergency clause” (considered immediately necessary for public safety) take effect upon signature by the governor.
One of the first items of business in each session is the adoption of the session calendar, identifying dates by which bills must clear various hurdles. A bill that fails to clear the policy committee or chamber floor by the designated date is generally considered dead for the year, although they may be “resurrected” by parliamentary procedure. I’ll post the cut-off dates for the 2018 session in the next issue of GOAL Post.
The following links can be used to contact legislators:
http://www.leg.wa.gov/Senate/Senators/
http://www.leg.wa.gov/House/Representatives/
Legislative e-mail addresses are available at http://app.leg.wa.gov/MemberEmail/Default.aspx
The link contains a quick tutorial on providing testimony at public hearings on bills under consideration. I would urge you to read it and consider visiting Olympia to let YOUR voice be heard. http://leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/Testify.aspx
Public hearings are committee meetings open to the public, where the public is allowed to testify on bills, to give their views on the bill. But all votes on bills taken by a committee are conducted in what are called “executive sessions.” They are typically part of a public session, with a few minutes set aside to vote on bills previously heard by the committee. Public testimony is just that, open to the public for comment. On the other have, no public input is allowed during executive session. You are welcome to sit there and to count votes, but silence from the public is the rule. Just FYI for those of you who have not attended legislative public meetings before.
At this time, no gun bills are scheduled to be heard the first week of the session. The Senate will conduct an executive session (vote) on SB 5553, suicide waiver of rights, on 11 January. This is a holdover from last year and no public input will be taken.
Legislative committee schedule is posted on the legislative web site on Wednesday evenings. It is not on the schedule yet, but I have been informed that the Senate Law & Justice Committee will conduct a public hearing on Monday, 15 January (Martin Luther King Day), at 1000, in Senate Hearing Room 4 (John A Cherberg Building). Bills reportedly under consideration include SBs 5992 (“trigger devices”) and 6049 (“high capacity magazine’ ban). A strong turnout is helpful. As is carpooling, given parking limitations on the Capitol Campus. (Who knows how many busloads of people will show up from Seattle supporting the gun control bills on this holiday?)
BILL STATUS/GOAL POSITION:
HB 1000
Use of deadly force
Doglio (D-22) H. PubSaf
OPPOSE
HB 1004
Possession of firearms/state of emergency
Shea (R-4) H. Jud.
SUPPORT
HB 1015
Limiting restrictions on concealed carry
Shea (R-4) H. Jud.
SUPPORT
HB 1122
Safe storage of firearms
Kagi (D-32) H. Rules
OPPOSE
HB 1134
Assault weapon ban
Peterson (D-21) H. Jud.
OPPOSE
HB 1174
Firearm safety education in schools
Muri (R-28) H. Edu.
SUPPORT
HB 1181
Prohibiting handgun sales registry
Blake (D-19) H. Jud.
SUPPORT
HB 1190
Prohibiting handgun sales registry
Taylor (R-15) H. Jud.
SUPPORT
HB 1270
Encouraging voluntary use of locking devices
Harmsworth (R-44) H. Fin.
SUPPORT
HB 1380
Repeals I-594
Shea (R-4) H. Jud.
SUPPORT
HB 1381
Universal recognition of all state CPLs
Blake (D-19) H. Jud.
SUPPORT
HB 1387
Assault weapons background check
Jinkins (D-27) H. Jud.
OPPOSE
HB 1483
Allows destruction of forfeited firearms
Lovick (D-44) H. Rules
OPPOSE
HB 1529
Use of force
Ryu (D-32) H. PubSaf
OPPOSE
HB 1592
Delivery of firearms to LEOs
Klippert (R) H. Jud.
SUPPORT
HB 1725
I-594 check exemption for CPL holders
Koster (R-44) H. Jud.
SUPPORT
HB 1731
Certain exemptions to I-594
Jinkins (D-27) H. Rules
SUPPORT
HB 1900
Hunter ed funding/NRA license plates
Griffey (R-35) H. Trans.
NEUTRAL
HB 1933
Transfer of firearms at non-profit events
Walsh (R-19) H. Jud.
SUPPORT
HB 2293
Bans firearms in daycare facilities (exception)
Kagi (D-32)
OPPOSE
HB 2306
Allows licensed veterans to carry at Comm Coll
Van Werven (R)
SUPPORT
HB 2329
Strengthens law making CPL data private
Walsh (R-19)
SUPPORT
SB 5000
Use of deadly force
McCoy (D-38) S. L&J
OPPOSE
SB 5050
Assault weapon ban
Frockt (D-3) S. L&J
OPPOSE
SB 5073
Use of force
McCoy (D-38) S. W&M
OPPOSE
SB 5216
Firearm safety education in schools
O’Ban (R-28) S. K-12
SUPPORT
SB 5441
Involuntary freeze on firearm possession
Kuderer (D) S. HumSer
NEUTRAL
SB 5444
Background check for “assault weapons”
Frockt (D-46) S. L&J
OPPOSE
SB 5463
Mandatory safe storage of firearms
Palumbo (D) S. L&J
OPPOSE
SB 5506
Transfer of firearms at non-profit events
Zeiger (R-25) S. Rules
SUPPORT
SB 5553
Suicidal, waiver of rights
Pedersen (D-43) S. L&J
NEUTRAL
SB 5795
Mandatory firearm liability insurance
Chase (D-32) S. L&J
OPPOSE
SB 5992
Bans certain “trigger devices”
Van De Wege (D-24) S. L&J
OPPOSE
SB 6049
Bans “high capacity” magazines
Frockt (D-3) S. L&J
OPPOSE
HB = House bill, SB = Senate bill. L&J = Law & Justice, Jud = Judiciary, PubSaf = Public Safety, HC = Health Care, H. K-12 = House Early education, Aprop = Appropriations, Fin = Finance, W&M = Ways & Means “S” before a bill number indicates Substitute (amended).
HEARINGS SCHEDULED:
None scheduled
Contact information for your Representatives may be found at http://app.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder or at http://leg.wa.gov/House/Pages/MembersByDistrict.aspx. You may reach your Representatives and Senator by calling the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000. Toll free!!! The hearing impaired may obtain TDD access at 1-800-635-9993. Also toll free!!!
1-800-562-6000 TDD 1-800-635-9993
OTHER DATA: Copies of pending legislation (bills), legislative schedules and other information are available on the legislature’s website at “www.leg.wa.gov“. Bills are available in Acrobat (.pdf) format. You may download a free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader from Adobe’s web site (http://www.adobe.com). You may also obtain hard copy bills, initiatives, etc, in the mail from the Legislative Bill Room FREE OF CHARGE by calling 1-360-786-7573. Copies of bills may also be ordered toll free by calling the Legislative Hotline at (800) 562-6000. You may also hear floor and committee hearing action live at http://www.tvw.org/ (you need “RealAudio” to do this, available free at the TVW web site). Each bill’s web page contains a link to any public hearing at the bottom of the page.
By reading the House and Senate “bill reports” (hbr, sbr) for each bill, you can see how individual committee members voted. By reading the “roll call” for each bill, you can see how the entire House or Senate voted on any bill. The beauty of the website is that ALL this information is available, online, to any citizen.
GET THE WORD OUT: If you want to subscribe to the GOAL Post by e-mail, send a message to “jwaldron@halcyon.com“. Please pass GOAL Post on to anyone you believe may have an interest in protecting our rights. Better yet, make a couple of copies of this message, post it on your gun club’s bulletin board, and leave copies with your local gun shop(s). PERMISSION IS HEREBY GRANTED TO DUPLICATE OR REDISTRIBUTE GOAL POST PROVIDED IT IS REPRODUCED IN ITS ENTIRETY WITHOUT TEXTUAL MODIFICATION AND CREDIT IS GIVEN TO GOAL. I can be reached at “jwaldron@halcyon.com” or by telephone at (425) 985-4867. Unfortunately, I am unable to mail hard copy GOAL Post to individuals. Limited numbers of hard copies MAY be available at the Second Amendment Foundation book table at WAC gun shows.
If you believe you have received this e-mail in error, please e-mail me at “jwaldron@halcyon.com” with the words “Unsubscribe GOAL Post” in the subject line. I will remove your name immediately. Keep in mind GOAL Post is also published on several gun lists. If you received GP via a list, you must contact that list’s admin to unsubscribe.
Upcoming WAC gun show(s):
Monroe 13-14 January
Puyallup 20-21 January
“The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed body of men.”
Article 1, Section 24
Constitution of the State of Washington
Copyright 2018 Gun Owners Action League of WA
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