Restricting gun background checks
Election Results
| Option | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| No | 1,144,566 | 55.27% |
| Yes | 926,276 | 44.73% |
* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.
About The Measure
Filed just ahead of Initiatve 594, this measure is intended to block any expansion of pre-purchase background checks on firearms unless a national standard is developed and adopted. Currently in Washington state, those who purchase guns from licensed firearms dealers must pass a criminal background check but no such requirements exist for private sales such as at organized gun shows.
It would declare that it is unlawful for any government agency to confiscate guns or other firearms from citizens without due process, or to require background checks on the recipient of a firearm unless a uniform national standard is required.
Complete Coverage
Spin Control: Slim majorities require focus on party discipline
OLYMPIA – The most ephemeral thing in politics might be big majorities. This should be particularly obvious to Democrats as they look to next year’s Legislature. Six years ago, Democrats approached the session with 31 of 49 seats in the Senate and 62 of 98 seats in the House. Those were nearly veto-proof majorities if they’d found the need to override any vetoes from Gov. Chris Gregoire, but considering she was a fellow Democrat, that point was mostly moot.
Expanded gun background checks passing
Washington voters clearly want more extensive background checks for gun purchases but they aren’t sure whether they want to mandate smaller class sizes in their public schools. In a duel between competing gun proposals, Initiative 594, which extends the background checks now required for guns purchased in stores to most private sales as well, was passing Tuesday night with about 60 percent of the vote. Initiative 591, which wouldn’t let the state require more stringent checks than the national standard, was failing with about 54 percent of the voters saying no.
Election 2014: I-591, I-594 differ over gun control
The duel between gun-control initiatives is not just a high-stakes clash between philosophies; it also pits a measure that’s short and sweet against one that features in-depth detail. Initiative 591, supported by state and national groups who tout their support of the Second Amendment, is one of the shortest measures to make the ballot in recent memory. Its 191 words would bar any illegal seizures of guns and wouldn’t allow Washington to change its background check laws unless there’s a new national standard.
Gun control measure backing from Seattle region
The vast majority of money supporting the initiative to expand background checks on guns comes from just 10 ZIP codes in the Seattle area, much of it from people with ties to the tech industry. An analysis of contributions reported to the state Public Disclosure Commission shows more than $2.8 million in contributions for Initiative 594 – or about 84 cents of every dollar contributed – comes from downtown Seattle, areas around Lake Washington and Shoreline. So far, the ballot measure to extend background checks from licensed dealers to most private sales has raised about $3.2 million, about three times more than the campaign for a counterproposal.
Two gun control issues will be on Washington ballot
OLYMPIA – Washington voters will face a pair of gun control issues this fall and will probably decide whether to have fewer students in some public school classes. But, because of a lack of support, citizens won’t be voting on efforts to change the U.S. Constitution on campaign finances or the state constitution on raising taxes.
Spin Control: Business magazine gives Washington top score again
OLYMPIA – Workers of Washington rejoice. You’re in the best state in which to make a living. At least that’s the view of MoneyRates.com, an online business magazine that put the Evergreen State at the top of its annual rankings for the second year in a row. We finished second the two years before that, so all you workers feeling ill-used can either start looking for a better job or rejoice that you aren’t worse off in some second-rate state.
Contradictory gun initiatives favored by majority, poll shows
OLYMPIA – Washington voters appear confused about a pair of contradictory gun initiatives that will be on the November ballot and could approve both this fall, a new survey suggests. If that happens, the courts may have to sort out initiatives 591 and 594, which deal very differently with the question of background checks for gun buyers. I-594 would expand background checks in Washington beyond the current federal standards to cover most sales. I-591 would allow background checks to be expanded only as part of a new national standard.
Shawn Vestal: Gun hearing draws NRA, familiar attitudes
Surely you’ve heard. The government wants to take your guns. The government may act like it doesn’t want to take your guns, but you definitely should not believe that, because the government wants to keep a list of all your guns in a massive government database, and it wants to use that massive government database to come to your front door, possibly in the middle of the night and wearing vintage Nazi footwear, and barge in without a warrant or probable cause and take your guns.
Two gun initiatives likely to be on Washington state ballot
OLYMPIA – A pair of initiatives on gun control had their second and likely last hearing Wednesday, with supporters and opponents disagreeing sharply on when giving a gun to another person would require a background check. Wednesday’s hearing by the Senate Law and Justice Committee didn’t have the same “star power” as Tuesday’s House hearing without former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords and former astronaut Mark Kelly to speak in favor of Initiative 594. But it did feature more questions by legislators of the two initiatives’ sponsors, sparking a debate over what it means to “transfer” a firearm.