Judge rules gun restrictions Washington state voters approved in I-1639 are constitutional
A federal judge has ruled that the voter-approved firearms Initiative 1639 is consistent with the Second Amendment, and therefore constitutional.
Initiative 1639 requires enhanced background checks and waiting periods before purchasing semiautomatic rifles, bringing them in line with the requirements for purchasing handguns.
Judge Ronald Leighton, a President George W. Bush-appointed federal judge, granted Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s motion for summary judgment, ruling that I-1639 does not violate the Constitution. Leighton is a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.
“An overwhelming majority of Washington voters approved Initiative 1639,” Ferguson said. “The NRA continues to challenge voter-approved, common sense gun reforms – and they continue to lose. I will not allow the NRA to undermine the will of the voters. If they choose to appeal, we will beat them again.”
The News Tribune reached out to the Bellevue-based Second Amendment Foundation for comment regarding the ruling, but did not hear back.
Initiative 1639 was passed in November 2018, when 60 percent of Washington residents approved the ballot measure. The initiative’s requirements also ban the purchase of handguns and semi automatic rifles to those 21 and younger.
The Washington Chapter of Moms Demand Action chimed in on the ruling.
“After Washington voters passed this landmark gun safety law at the ballot box, its opponents tried to use the courts to undo our progress,” Kate Stockert, a volunteer with the Washington Chapter of MAD said in a statement.
“It’s not a surprise that they failed. As the court recognized, there is no conflict between this life-saving law and our Constitution. This is another victory for gun safety in Washington.”
When the initiative initially went into effect, some sheriffs and police chiefs announced that they would not enforce it until a ruling had been made on its constitutionality. Ferguson said law enforcement has a non-discretionary obligation to perform these background checks, and agencies could be held liable for not performing such actions.
This story was originally published August 31, 2020 at 7:49 PM with the headline "Judge rules gun restrictions Washington state voters approved in I-1639 are constitutional."
