Leonard Christian speaks on Senate floor against bill restricting weapons possession. To see Sen. Christian’s speech, click here.
OLYMPIA – A bill passed by the Senate prohibiting possession of firearms and other weapons in certain public places wouldn’t protect anyone, argues Senator Leonard Christian, R-Spokane Valley.
All Senate Bill 5098 would do is enable the prosecution of gun owners who have no malicious intent, Christian said as the bill was debated on the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon.
The measure was approved 28-21 on a largely party-line vote. Two Democrats joined all Senate Republicans in voting against the measure. The bill now moves to the House for further consideration.
“This kind of legislation doesn’t protect anyone,” Christian said.
Christian said no law can ever deter people with harmful designs from going where they please. He noted that a “gun-free zone” at Freeman High School, just south of his 4th Legislative District, failed to prevent a school shooting in 2017.
The bill prohibits the possession of weapons in state or local public buildings, parks and playgrounds where children are likely to be present, and at county fairgrounds. An exemption is provided for persons with a concealed pistol license.
Local governments are required to post warning signs where firearms are prohibited as soon as practical, but failure to provide public notice would not exempt gun owners from gross misdemeanor charges.
Christian, who is serving his fourth year in the Legislature and his first in the Senate, said this year’s gun legislation “blows my mind.” On the one hand, the Legislature’s majority party has proposed restoring gun rights to ex-cons convicted of serious drug felonies, and ending sentence enhancements for criminals who use guns to commit crimes. Yet it also is proposing measures this year that penalize gun owners who obey the law, including special taxes on guns and ammunition, prohibitions on bulk ammunition purchases, new restrictions on firearms transfers and onerous and duplicative storage requirements for guns kept in homes and cars.
Christian offered two amendments to the bill. One would have made the first offense grounds for a warning rather than prosecution; the other would have required the Department of Commerce to produce an informational booklet showing where weapons possession is restricted. “We do it for our hunters, we do it for our fishers – we can do it for our law-abiding gun owners,” he said.
Majority Senate Democrats rejected both amendments.