Late Sunday night, the Washington House of Representatives quietly attempted to go to work passing unconstitutional anti-gun legislation off the House Floor. Despite overwhelming outcry from the public, hours of debate and offers of amendments that would have prevented law-abiding Washingtonians from becoming criminals, the House voted along party lines 57-40 to pass ESSB 5038.
ESSB 5038 will now head back to the Senate for concurrence. Your voice is needed to urge Senate Democrat Majority Leader, Andy Billig, to hold the bill and prevent a concurrence vote on this unconstitutional piece of legislation.
Senate Bill 5038 makes it a crime to openly carry, on the person or in a vehicle, a firearm or other “weapon” if you are at or within 250 feet of a “permitted demonstration” in a public place. Even if you leave your firearm locked in the trunk of your car, it is considered ”open carry” under this bill and you will be guilty of a gross misdemeanor. Despite permitting individuals to use an area for the exercise of their First Amendment rights, anti-gun legislators want to ban those individuals from exercising their Second Amendment rights in the same permitted space. The Constitution was not written with gradually disappearing ink where one right is more important than another. The Second Amendment should not be infringed upon in any capacity, especially where other Constitutional Rights are being freely and openly expressed.
Further, SB 5038 limits self-defense options on Washington State Capitol grounds.
