New year, new legislative session.
Batten down the hatches, fasten your seatbelts, it's gonna be a rough ride...
The good news, this is the short session, that allegedly focuses on budgetary issues. The bad news is, the Democrats are in control.
I'm leaving the full text of this GOAL Post in the main blog, instead of inserting a "jump" to shorten it. That leave the full list of bills here. You'll notice there are a lot of "Ban this, Mandatory that" bills, but few "Exception/Allow/Repeal the other."
Like I said, the Democrats are in control...
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FROM: GOAL-WA (goalwa@cox.net)(Joe
Waldron)
TO: undisclosed recipients
Sent: [wa-ccw] GOAL Post 2018-1
Subject: GOAL Post 2018-1
Legislative Update from Olympia5 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
- LEGISALATOR 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 22^nd , 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 last item in the
narrative.
The legislature convenes on Monday, January 8^th , for
its “short” (60 day) session. This is a continuation of the 65^th
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 45^th 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:
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 are 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 registr yBlake (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 1387Assault weapons background check Jinkins (D-27)H.
Jud. OPPOSE
HB 1483Allows destruction of forfeited firearms Lovick
(D-44) H. Rules OPPOSE
HB 1529Use of force Ryu (D-32) H.Pub.Saf. OPPOSE
HB 1592Delivery of firearms to LEOs Klippert (R-H. Jud. SUPPORT
HB 1725I-594 check exemption for CPL holders Koster
(R-44)H. Jud. SUPPORT
HB 1731 Certain exemptions to I-594 Jinkins (D27) 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 5441Involuntary 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
LEGISLATIVE HOT LINE: 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!!!
1-800-562-6000TDD 1-800-635-9993
OTHER DATA: Copies of pending legislation (bills),
legislative schedules and other information are available on the legislature's
web site 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).
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 web site is that ALL this
information is available, on line, to any citizen.
GET THE WORD OUT: If you want to subscribe to the GOAL
Post by e-mail, send a message to "
goalwa@cox.net
".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 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 "
goalwa@cox.net"
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):
Monroe13-14 January
Puyallup20-21 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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Posted by: GOAL WA <
goalwa@cox.net>
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