By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
The latest report on active concealed pistol licenses in Washington State shows a small but noticeable turnaround during the month of April by 750 new licenses.
It is significant because the new number—696,765 compared to the previous total at the end of March at 696,015—marks the end of a decline which began late last year. TGM reported on this issue last month, after hearing from many gun owners who have literally fled Washington for more Second Amendment-friendly states including Idaho, Montana, Arizona, Texas and Florida.
SEE: Washington CPL Numbers Decline as Gun Owners Flee, Others Refuse to Renew
This year has seen CPL numbers drop from 701,456 posted at the end of January to the low point March 31. As reported earlier, the number of active CPLs hit 713,000.
Since then, a couple of things have happened. It appears thousands of Washingtonians have decided to move, and the legislature has adopted even more taxes, not just driving out beleaguered taxpayers but also businesses. The adoption of a “millionaire” income tax—which critics say will eventually become an income tax on all citizens—is also contributing to public angst.
Washington, until 2014 and the passage of anti-gun-rights Initiative 594, had been considered a state with reasonable gun laws. It is one of the first states to adopt reciprocity back in the early 1980s, and also one of the first states with a “shall issue” CPL law.
In recent years, this has all turned around. The Evergreen State has adopted several restrictions including bans on so-called “assault weapons” and “large-capacity magazines”—both of which are being challenged in court—and last year, adopted the largest tax increase in state history, signed by Ferguson who had campaigned promising not to raise taxes.
Washington is also an “open carry” state, and has one of the strongest right-to-bear-arms state constitutional provisions in the nation, adopted Nov. 11, 1889 when statehood was achieved. It was so good, in fact, that the Arizona state constitution copied Washington’s provision word-for-word when it achieved statehood in 1912.
But anti-gun Democrats, supported by a billionaire-backed gun prohibition lobbying group based in Seattle, have managed to push through strict gun control laws, which do not appear to have accomplished much. Making matters more interesting, at least some of the wealthy elitists ho have bankrolled the gun prohibition movement and helped elect a Democrat majority are now leaving Washington to escape the “millionaire tax.” Accusations of hypocrisy have become commonplace.
If the May CPL number continues to rise, it could mean the turnaround is solid. Thirty days will tell the tale.
