By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
On nearly a straight party line vote with one defection, Washington State Senate Democrats passed Senate Bill 5098, sponsored by Sen. Javier Valdez, which would restrict the carrying of firearms “on the premises of state or local public buildings, parks or playground facilities where children are likely to be present, and county fairs and county fair facilities.”
Not a single Republican voted for the measure, which was passed 29-20, but Democrat Sen. Adrian Cortes from District 18 near Vancouver voted no. Last year, Cortes was joined in his “no” vote by fellow Democrat Sen. Claudia Kauffman of the 47th District. This time around, she voted for the bill.
In a statement from Senate Democrats, Valdez declared, “This bill has been a long time coming. People across Washington have told me they want parks, county fairgrounds, and community events to be safe places for their families. We’ve listened, we’ve done the work, and I’m grateful the Senate has voted to move it forward again.”
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But not everyone agrees. Viewer reaction to a report at KOMO, the Seattle-area ABC affiliate, is largely negative. Critics contend the bill is unconstitutional under both the state and federal constitutions.
The bill exempts concealed pistol license holders, and there are more than 700,000 active CPLs in the state, according to data from the Department of Licensing. Among respondents to the KOMO story was one licensed citizen who remarked, “SB 5098 expands weapon restrictions to specific park facilities, public buildings, and county fairs, with signage requirements. That approach doesn’t stop criminals who already ignore laws. It mainly burdens compliant citizens by shrinking where lawful carry is allowed and increasing the chance of accidental violations due to boundaries and posted rules. ‘Shall not be infringed’ keeps getting narrowed in Washington.”
The bill’s passage is also stirring some reaction at the Washington Legislative Action Group’s Facebook page, which has more than 14,000 members and followers.
In addition to Valdez, the original bill’s sponsors are Senators Rebecca Saldaña, Manka Dhingra, Noel Frame, T’wina Nobles, Tina Orwall, Jamie Pedersen, Jesse Salomon, Derek Stanford, Lisa Wellman, and Claire Wilson). All are Democrats.
The bill was introduced last year and passed the Senate but languished in the House, where it must now go again for consideration. It is not clear whether a public hearing will be held in the House.
