Washington governor signs bills tightening gun rules
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed a package of bills Wednesday tightening the state's gun laws, including a measure that bans the manufacture, distribution and sale of firearm magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition.
Washington joins nine other states, including California and New Jersey, that restrict magazine capacity size.
“We are not willing to accept gun violence as a normal part of life in the state of Washington,” Inslee, a Democrat, said at a news conference in the Capitol’s state reception room, where he was surrounded by lawmakers and other supporters of the new laws.
The Capitol was closed to the public for several hours before and after the bill signing. A spokesperson for the Washington State Patrol said that there was no specific threat, but that the temporary closure was a “prudent precaution.”
Washington's measure, which takes effect July 1, does not prohibit the possession of such magazines. It also includes exceptions to magazine limits for law enforcement and corrections officers, members of the armed forces, Washington’s National Guard and for licensed firearms dealers who sell to those institutions.
Violations would be a gross misdemeanor, which in Washington is punishable by up to 364 days in county jail, a maximum fine of up to $5,000, or both.
The measure was requested by Democratic Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who said that a 2016 shooting at a party in Mukilteo — in which a 30-round magazine was used, killing three teens and seriously injuring another — and his conversations with the parent of a survivor motivated him to push for the bill every year since.
“It’s individuals who are directly impacted by gun violence. When they speak, politicians respond,” Ferguson said.
The new law also makes the sale or...