Would-be gun owners in the state of Washington already have to pass a background check before taking possession of their firearm thanks to the state's "universal" background check law, but that screening measure doesn't go far enough for the Democrats in charge of the state House in Olympia. 

Early Saturday morning, and after several hours of debate, the House approved a "permit-to-purchase" bill along party lines that subjects gun buyers to several new requirements before they can take possession of their purchase, 

If HB 1163 becomes law, applicants will have to submit a set of fingerprints to the Washington State Patrol along with a certificate of completion of a certified firearms safety training program within the last five years as part of their application for a permit-to-purchase. According to the latest text of the legislation, the permits "shall" be issued by the WSP so long as the purchaser passes a background check and submits all of the required documentation. While the bill doesn't allow the licensing authority to deny someone based on subjective criteria, it does allow the state patrol to take up to 30 days to approve their Second Amendment permission slip, essentially creating a de facto month-long waiting period on gun sales. 

Supporters of the bill argue that these measures are necessary to enhance public safety, reduce gun violence, and ensure that only responsible individuals have access to firearms. They contend that requiring safety training and thorough vetting will help prevent dangerous individuals from obtaining weapons, ultimately saving lives.

Republican lawmakers, however, are strongly opposed to the legislation, calling it a direct assault on constitutional freedoms and does nothing but punish law-abiding citizens, not criminals who use firearms illegally. All 27 amendments they offered were rejected by Democrats. 

Representative Jim Walsh (R-Aberdeen) was particularly vocal in his criticism, warning that the bill undermines fundamental rights protected under the Washington State Constitution.

“First, it violates your due process rights. That’s Article 1, Section 3 of the Washington State Constitution. Second, it violates your privacy rights. That’s Article 1, Section 7, and third, it violates your rights to defend yourself with a firearm,” Walsh said during a late Friday night hearing on the bill.

State Rep. Strom Peterson (D-Edmonds) countered that the bill is about safety, including suicide prevention. 

“Veterans are five times more likely to use a firearm and suicide than the rest of the population,” Peterson explained. “The underlying bill might give some pause when you’re able to purchase a firearm. Maybe take just a little bit of time. If you’re in a mental health crisis with suicidal ideations to just take a little bit of time before you are able to purchase a firearm.”

Keep in mind that Washington already imposes a 10-day waiting period on gun sales, so the "little bit of time" that Peterson says might save lives is already in place (and then some). HB 1163 would quadruple that pause by giving the Washington State Patrol 30 days to approve permit-to-purchase applications and then imposing the additional 10-day wait once the pre-approved purchaser has passed another background check at the point of sale. 

I'm all in favor of taking mental health and suicide prevention seriously, but it's absolutely disgusting to see Peterson and his anti-gun cohorts use self-harm as justification for blocking everyone from exercising their Second Amendment rights in a semi-timely manner. The state's 10-day waiting period is bad enough, but the additional 30 days imposed by 1162 is exponentially worse., and that's not even getting into the privacy and due process violations noted by Rep. Walsh. 

If lawmakers like Peterson are truly interested in reducing suicides, this isn't the way to go about it. Instead, he and his fellow Democrats should be doing more to improve access to mental health care. About a quarter of the state's population lives in a designated geographic mental health shortage area, including many of the state's rural counties where gun ownership rates are higher than cities like Seattle or Tacoma. Instead of ensuring access to mental health care for those in crisis, however, Peterson and his fellow Democrats are working to make it impossible for those with an immediate need for a firearm to be able to protect themselves from their abuser, stalker, or others who want to do them harm.