BELLEVUE, WA – -(Ammoland.com)- The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms today applauded Washington State gun owners and Second Amendment activists for the record response to a controversial and radical Senate bill (ESSB 5078) that seeks to ban so-called “large capacity” ammunition magazines.
As speaker after speaker testified before the House Committee on Civil Rights & Judiciary, it became clear this bill—requested by anti-gun Democrat Attorney General Bob Ferguson—will not provide any solution to violent crime involving firearms.
“We were especially impressed by remarks from Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich, whose law enforcement experience and perspective should convince lawmakers this attempt to limit magazine capacity makes no sense and will accomplish nothing,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb.
“Most impressive of all,” he added, “was that nearly 15,000 Washington citizens signed up to oppose this measure, against fewer than 900 who support the bill.”
“Gun prohibition groups supporting the ban will complain that the so-called ‘gun lobby’ is pressuring lawmakers, but the reality is that thousands of this state’s law-abiding gun owners, who represent hundreds of thousands of other good citizens, oppose extremist gun control and they are turning out to stop it.”
The turnout gave lawmakers an opportunity to see the diversity of people opposing this ban, including women and minorities.
“The thousands of citizens who took the time to weigh in on this egregious bill are to be congratulated for their willingness to participate in the legislative process,” Gottlieb said. “Too often in the past, gun owners have remained quietly on the sidelines while their rights were being trampled, but Wednesday’s turnout should signal anti-gun lawmakers they have awakened a sleeping giant ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.
“Evergreen State gun owners are paying attention and taking notes,” he observed. “We’re tired of being penalized for crimes we didn’t commit, and for having our rights eroded while real criminals have repeatedly shown they will not obey new gun laws, same as they have consistently ignored existing laws. Today’s lopsided opposition to the proposed magazine ban should send a message to Olympia enough is enough.”
About Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms
With more than 650,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (www.ccrkba.org) is one of the nation’s premier gun rights organizations. As a non-profit organization, the Citizens Committee is dedicated to preserving firearms freedoms through active lobbying of elected officials and facilitating grass-roots organization of gun rights activists in local communities throughout the United States.
