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I wrote public disclosure requests to every county sheriff asking for SBS and SBR crime data. While sawed off shotguns are a more popular way to break the law than silencers in this state, SBR crime appears to be very rare.

The is a link for commenting on the bill in the link above, it is also here; https://washingtonleg.granicusideas.com/widget/agenda_items/HB 1561 Please post polite positive and accurate comments there.

Ranb
 
I finally got a hold of Representative Pederson's aide, Katy Buck. I asked for a meeting to discuss 1561 but she told me that the deadline (self imposed by the chairman I presume) to schedule a House bill for a Judiciary committee hearing was Tuesday 2/12/13. I was surprised to hear this and told her so. She asked if the bill had any Democrat support. I told her that 14 of the 32 sponsors are Democrats, the prime sponsor is also a Democrat and that this bill appears to have more sponsors than any other gun bill pro or con except for the background check bill (1588). She said she would get back to me later. This was at about 9:30 am today.

Have any pro-gun bills had a hearing this session? If not I have to admit I expected more from Pedersen this session. So much for getting my hopes up. I don't know if lots more calls to Pedersen's office will help, but it is worth a shot. Calling the bill sponsors might help too.

Ranb
 
I have not heard back. I don't think Pedersen is interested in talking to anyone about 1561 right now unless they are a Representative. I am going to call again on Monday and see if his aide has any more info.

Ranb
 
Ranb,

I've been following this thread for awhile but haven't been outspoken as I have been neck deep in nursing school for the last couple of years. I graduate in 2 weeks so I will have some free time on my hands until I get a job. I have never been active politically but I would like to help out as I would really like to see ownership of SBR/SBS restored.

I've been trying to watch the going ons in the legislature this session and it would appear that all the focus is on further restriction of our rights and not on restoration. I was wondering if we are going to get any traction this year and if not what our options are for the next session. Would we have a better chance if we started an initiative? Or would that be counter-productive? How about getting the Second Amendment Foundation on board and challenging the ban on SBR/SBS in the courts as unconstitutional? I'm sure these ideas have been considered already, but I though they might be worth throwing out there since the legislative approach doesn't seem to be gaining any ground at this time.

Also, I too appreciate all the time an effort you have been putting into this issue.
 
Right now it is simply a matter of convincing the House Judiciary Chairman to give the bill a hearing. The legislative approach will only die if Representative Blake and the other sponsors give up on it. I have been trying to get a meeting with Pedersen but he is not interested in talking about a bill he won't give a hearing to. While this bill is likely to pass if he gives it a hearing, he has not explained why it will won't be scheduled.

Ranb
 
Ask your Representative to remind him that it is the only gun bill in Olympia that has broad Democrat and Republican support, it is supported by the police (WACOPS supports, WASCP is neutral). It is a simple bill that restores rights to the police and civilians and eliminates a victimless crime in a statute that serves no purpose. The 2319-1994 bill authors that wrote the bill banning SBR and SBS did so just because they could, it was not an anti-crime measure. There are no registered SBR involved in any violent crime in the state.

Your Representative needs to tell Pedersen that the bill is a priority.

Randy
 
I just got off the phone with Representative Pedersen's aide. The current excuse for not giving the SBR bill a hearing in the Judiciary Committee may be lack of committee member support. It seems that bipartisan legislative support and neutral and supporting positions by the state's police is not enough like it was for the silencer bill back in 2011.

I think lack of committee support is BS. Goodman (D), Hope (R), Kirby (D), Klippert (R), Nealey (R), Roberts (D) and Shea (R) are HB 1561 co-sponsors as well as House Judiciary Committee members. If you write, ask them what is going on in committee. When seven of thirteen committee members are co-sponsors, it should have enough support in committee.

Here are the house Judiciary Committee members; Judiciary Members There are six Republicans and seven Democrats, but this does not matter as the SBR bill is not a Republican bill. We need people to write to these committee members to ask if they will support the bill if it is scheduled for a hearing next session. If they say they will support the bill, post their reply here. If they are against it keep writing until they tell you exactly why. Chances are if they are against SBR's it is for some irrational reason; educating them on gun ownership may turn them from anti to pro.

If anyone has a district Representative on the committee, please ask them to co-sponsor it (if they are not already doing so) or at least bring it to the attention of the chairman.

Randy
 
This thread has been quiet for awhile. Any new developments?
There will be nothing new until next year. The bill has been dead since Pedersen refused to schedule it for a hearing in early March. it has EVERYTHING needed to ensure passage except for the hearings. Representative Blake is still standing behind this bill and it will be alive next session in January.

I was promised a meeting with Representative Pedersen in May. Hopefully he will be forthcoming about his decision to put a loser of a bill like the background check bill over a winner like the SBR bill.

Unless there are more Sandy Hook's next session I don't see any reason why it would not get a hearing.

Ranb
 
100% dead for the 2013 session. Take a look at the session calendar; 2013 Session Cutoff Calendar

A bill has until March 13th to get a hearing in the house of origin. That has long since past. If there is a special session that takes place after April 28th, it will only be for certain items that the governor deems important, like the budget.

The 2014 session like all even year sessions will a short 65 day one. As soon as the session starts we need to hit Chairman Pedersen hard to get him to schedule a hearing for the bill. If he doesn't schedule it by the end of January then it will probably be too late again. If he schedules it then we have to demand that Senator Padden does the same in the Senate.

For those of you who have Representatives that are not already co-sponsors, write and ask them to sponsor the bill. Last year most of the sponsors were Democrats, in 2013 more Republicans joined up so that only 14 of the 32 are Democrats, but the prime sponsor is still a Democrat. The more sponsors we get the better.

This is an excellent chance to get a gun-shy Representative to sponsor a bill that will have no impact on their anti-gun constituents. So few people own SBR's that it will make very little impact on most residents. The bill actually benefits the police as current law only allows them to possess them while at work or too and from work. Remind your Representative of this fact as well as that SBR's were made illegal just because the legislature could do so. The bill author did not ban them because of any crimes committed with them, he did it just because he could. I have his e-mail if anyone wants it forwarded to them.

Randy Bragge
360 440-5889
[email protected]
 
Check out this new thread. http://www.northwestfirearms.com/nfa-weapons/145307-meeting-pedersen-sbr-bill.html . Pedersen will probably not give the House bill a hearing next session, but he might give one to any SBR bill that makes it out of the Senate. I wrote to Senator Hatfield requesting that he introduce an SBR bill in the Senate and he said he would.

We need people to write to their Senator and ask them to co-sponsor the bill when Hatfield introduces it. If your Senator refuses to consider voting for the bill ask to meet them and discuss the issue with them.

Randy
 

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