Gun legislation advances through Washington state Senate
by KOMO News Staff
Fri, March 3rd 2023, 5:32 AM PST
FILE – A person looks at a Smith & Wesson pistol. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
OLYMPIA, Wash. — A bill that would hold gun manufacturers and sellers liable for failing to make sure weapons don't end up in the wrong hands is one step closer to becoming law in Washington state.
Senate Bill 5078, the "Firearm Industry Responsibility and Gun Victims’ Access to Justice Act," passed in the state Senate Thursday by a 28 to 21 vote.
Supported by Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson, the bill would allow the attorney general or families of those killed by gun violence to sue gun-makers who market to minors or others not allowed to own a gun.
Inslee and Ferguson announced the measure at a press conference in December while calling for a renewed ban on the sale of military-style assault weapons in the state.
At the time, Inslee said the act aimed to ensure victims have access to justice when the firearms industry allows "too many guns of the wrong kinds" to end up "in the wrong hands." Like other purveyors of dangerous goods, gun manufactures should be forced to take reasonable precautions, Inslee added.
RELATED: A look at new gun laws proposed in Washington's Legislature this session
"This epidemic of gun violence we're suffering in the state of Washington is unacceptable," Inslee said in Dec., alongside Ferguson, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and others. "We do not have to surrender to this scourge of violence. We know we can act, we know we should act and we know we will act."
Washington state loses more than 800 residents a year to gun violence, Inslee said, which is the leading cause of death for children, ahead of car crashes and cancer.
Proponents of newly proposed gun laws said the bills are about keeping communities safe and getting justice for families of gun violence victims, while others believe these ideas go after businesses instead of holding criminals accountable.
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