http://www.examiner.com/article/billionaire-backed-gun-control-measure-wins-washingtonBillionaire-backed gun control measure wins in Washington; rights win in Ala.11/4/14
Evergreen State gun control proponents are celebrating passage of the billionaire-backed Initiative 594 while gun rights advocates supporting rival Initiative 591 are wondering what comes next as Tuesday night ballot returns point to a loss for their measure.
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UPDATE: Meanwhile, Alabama gun owners scored a major victory Tuesday with passage of a state constitutional amendment that strengthened the right to keep and bear arms, and requires strict scrutiny on any restrictions placed on that right. It was clearly a win for the Alabama Gun Rights organization. The vote was a resounding 73-27 percent, and already some Washington gun owners are hinting they might look at Alabama as a new place to live.
According to KVI’s John Carlson Wednesday morning, yesterday’s gun control victory was a “wake-up call” to the firearms community to learn, regroup and come back energetically, and also make sure this doesn’t happen elsewhere. Carlson says the I-594 forces stayed focused, which is why they carried the day. He seems to overlook the massive budget advantage gun prohibitionists had, along with some rather disingenuous news coverage.
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At the headquarters of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, grassroots activists are taking some consolation in the change of power in Washington, D.C., and what appears to be continued Republican control of the State Senate, and the fact that I-591 won in a majority of the state's counties. But now the test will be whether the new law will be enforced, or whether it will be unenforceable, as many in law enforcement have contended. While Second Amendment activists were disappointed, gun prohibitionists were partying.
The ominous prediction from Seattle Times columnist Danny Westneat: “Expect more gun control legislation to come down the pike, and soon. The politics around that issue — the old trembling at the might of the NRA, the worries about the wrath of gun-loving voters — has officially changed.”
But a Seattle Times reader may have reflected the mood of many in the firearms community: “Congrautlations (sic) WA,” wrote a reader identifying himself as Jose Castillo. “You just voted to turn thousands of law-abiding citizens into criminals. And what about the real criminals? They couldn't care less. They'll get guns like they always have. Through their friends and connections illegally.”
I-594 will require background checks on all firearms transfers, not just sales. There will be use tax requirements. The waiting period on handgun purchases has been doubled from five to ten business days.
What comes next? Perhaps attempts to ban so-called “assault weapons.” Maybe an attempt to change Washington back to a “may issue” state where concealed pistol licenses are concerned. Yesterday this column noted that there are now more than 471,000 active CPLs in circulation.
Based on what happened Tuesday in Washington, the odds are good that similar efforts will be mounted in other states where big money will be able to dominate the airwaves and overpower grassroots activism, which has been the hallmark of the gun rights movement. Anti-gunners have found a formidable weapon of their own: Money.