firearms
It’s time to broaden our conversation about guns
There is a familiar pattern after the mass shootings that have become a well-known feature of American life. The initial shock and grief gives way to demands for greater regulation of gun ownership by Democrats, while Republicans dismiss such measures and blame mental illness instead. But if we actually want to do something about it, […]
U.S. Supreme Court considers case dealing with gun rights and domestic violence
WASHINGTON — U.S. Supreme Court justices during Tuesday’s oral arguments seemed to lean toward upholding a federal law that prevents the possession of firearms by a person who is subject to a domestic violence protective order. Liberal and conservative justices appeared to side with the Biden administration’s position that the 1994 federal law is in […]
Hong Kong authorities dismiss gun charges against Washington state senator
A Washington state senator won’t be prosecuted for having a revolver in his baggage when he arrived at the Hong Kong International Airport earlier this month. Firearm-related charges against Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, were dismissed by a Hong Kong court, according to information a Wilson spokesman provided Sunday night. But prosecutors could refile if he […]
Supreme Court reinstates federal ‘ghost gun’ rule backed by Washington state
A Biden administration effort to clamp down on untraceable firearms made from kits can continue for now, after the U.S. Supreme Court weighed in Tuesday. It’s a small victory for states, including Washington, who say federal inaction has led to more of the “ghost guns” crossing their borders and getting used in crimes. The Supreme […]
Why many judges in WA won’t order abusers to turn in guns
This article is the second in a three-part series from InvestigateWest. In June 2019, a woman lay on the floor of a trailer home in Kitsap County, struggling to breathe after her boyfriend, Dwayne Allen Flannery, allegedly beat and choked her. After a neighbor called the police, Flannery was charged with second-degree assault. The county’s […]
Republican states arm teachers, fortify buildings in another year of school shootings
As another school year defined by mass shootings ends in America, Republican-led state legislatures passed measures this session to fortify schools, create guidelines for active shooter drills and safety officer responses, and allow teachers to be armed. Firearm restrictions, however, were a nonstarter in red states trying to curb school shootings. The legislation pushed by GOP lawmakers […]
Judge declines to block enforcement of Washington’s semiautomatic gun ban
Washington’s new prohibitions on the sale, distribution and importation of semiautomatic firearms can stay in effect while a challenge against them plays out in federal court, a judge in the case ruled Tuesday. Judge Robert J. Bryan issued a 14-page order denying a request from gun rights advocates for a preliminary injunction to temporarily block […]
‘Not tools of self-defense’: Ferguson makes case for Washington’s new semiautomatic rifle ban
Courthouse sparring is ramping up in a case that could eventually decide whether Washington’s newly adopted ban on the sale of semiautomatic rifles is constitutional. Gun rights advocates filed the lawsuit in federal district court in Tacoma on April 25, the same day Gov. Jay Inslee signed the legislation. On Monday, Attorney General Bob Ferguson […]