Logo By Coldsun Designs/CAS


March 15th, 1999

GOAL Post #8

Only four days left to "flop date," when all bills must pass their originating chamber (Senate bills passed to the House, and vice versa). A handful of bills remain alive.

SHB 1391, which would allow limited CPL reciprocity with other states, passed out of the House on a 92-4 vote (2 excused). The deadlock was broken with HB 1196 when House leadership agreed to allow two Representatives to co-prime sponsor the bill, Rep. Chris Hurst (D-31) and Rep. Tom Mielke (R-18). This was especially appropriate as language from Mielke’s HB 1196 was melded into Hurst’s HB 1391.

Two anti-gun or potentially anti-gun bills are alive in Senate Rules, awaiting a push to a floor vote. At this time, SB 5312 does not contain the hospital gun ban language, although that language could be added by amendment from the floor. SB 5554, also in Senate Rules, allows community college trustees to “control” possession of firearms on those campuses. SSB 6052, providing an additional funding source for hunter education funding, is also in Senate Rules.

Bill Status

Bill # Subject Sponsor Status Support/Oppose
SSB 5001 Bear/cougar hunting Morton R-7 H. Nat. Res. Support
SSB 5214 Detaining students w/guns McAuliffe D-1 H. Judiciary Support
SSB 5312 Healthcare facil. violence Costa D-38 Passed Senate Neutral
SB 5554 CommunityColl. gun ban Costa D-38 S. Rules Oppose
SB 5629 Civil Rights Act Roach R-31 Died in Ways/Means Support
SSB 6052 Hunter ed funding Jacobsen D-46 S. Rules Support
         
SHB 1012 Bear/cougar hunting Sump R-7 H. Rules Support
HB 1196 CPL reciprocity Mielke R-18 Combined w/ HB 1391 Support
HB 1352 CPL emergency issue Carrell R-28 H. Rules Support
HB 1391 CPL reciprocity Hurst D-31 Passed House Support
SHB 2086 Laser pointers Esser R-48 Passed House Neutral

SB=Senate Bill, HB=House Bill, SSB/SHB=Substitute (amended) Senate or House Bill

Go here to read more about the bills by number. Only "live" bills are shown. For old bill numbers, look in the archives.

SSB 5312 requires health care facilities to develop violence prevention plans, and would have allowed public hospitals to ban the possession of firearms on their premises (to include parking lots). FIREARM BAN LANGUAGE REMOVED (although it could be reintroduced on a floor vote). NEUTRAL AS WRITTEN

SB 5554 (community college gun ban) will be voted on in the next two days. This bill gives C.C. trustees full authority to control or limit firearms on campus as they see fit. We already have a K-12 “gun free school zone” law, and four-year universities already generally ban guns by administrative code (infraction only). But community colleges are different from both K-12 and university campuses. Unlike K-12, 98% of C.C. students are adults, with no resident students. Community college campuses also frequently serve as activity centers for the local community, with extensive “outside” events going on. In addition, many women breaking away from abusive relationships (and who have chosen to protect themselves with firearms) attend community college courses to develop marketable skills. Otherwise legitimate possession of firearms on C.C. campuses should NOT be subject to banning by unelected officials.

Please call your Senator TODAY at the legislative hotline number ((800) 562-6000) and ask him/her to vote NO on SB 5554. Senate e-mail addresses are also available here.

You may reach your Representatives and Senators 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! You may obtain hard copy bills, initiatives, etc., in the mail from the Legislative Bill Room FREE OF CHARGE by calling 1-360-786-7573.

This article is edited for space. To receive the entire GOAL Post send a request here. Information is edited and reprinted with written permission from GOAL. All information Copyright (C) 1999 Gun Owners Action League of WA and Olympic Arms, Inc.

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On-line Letters
Those of you who surf the World Wide Web need to log-on to nra's website. Contained under both the "News" and "ILA" sections of their homepage you will find sample letters for you to send to your lawmakers. The letters deal with a previously-released BATF study on armor-piercing ammunition which concluded that no further legislation on this front was necessary. At the bequest of the Clinton-Gore Administration, the Treasury Department came out publicly to repudiate BATF's conclusions, since they were not consistent with the Administration's plans for more bullet bans. The second piece of correspondence addresses the Clinton-Gore Administration's attempt to ban gun shows in the U.S. You may either download the letters in their entireties and send to your lawmakers, or cut and paste them into your word processing program, add your own, additional text, and then mail to your legislators.

TX & FL Fight Back
Two measures in the Texas legislature would limit or prohibit Texas cities and counties, or the state, from suing gun manufacturers. One of the bills is sponsored by State Representative Suzanna Hupp, who became the state's leading pro gun activist after both of her parents were murdered in the Luby's massacre in Killeen in 1992. Hupp says lawsuits claiming gun manufacturers are responsible for gun violence would increase the price of guns, keeping them out of the hands of law abiding citizens who need them for protection.

Mayors who sue gun makers would face up to five years in prison under a proposed Florida law that opponents say is the latest salvo in a national battle over liability for shooting injuries and deaths. The bill filed Feb. 19 by state Rep. George Albright would make it a crime for local government officials to sue gun and ammunition makers to recoup damages in cases arising from ``the lawful design, marketing or sale of firearms.'' Public officials who file such lawsuits would risk conviction on a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and fines up to $5,000. Albright, a Republican from Ocala, said product liability lawsuits should be left to private citizens and his bill would stop local government officials from exercising powers the legislature never intended them to have.

Where are the catalogs?
Dealer catalogs are here!!! We have made our main bulk mailing, and if you send an FFL you should receive one shortly. Our Retail catalogs are being worked on at this time and should be ready very soon. Give us a try at the end of March '99 and hopefully we can get you one!

Other Newsworthy Items
New Battle Brews Over Gun Lawsuits
Do NOT patronize eBay!
Washington State "$30 License Tab" Initiative I-695
Gun Industry Wins Key Battle in Ga.
News of the Weird



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