September 19, 2014 · Exit133

City Council Will Discuss Supporting Increased Gun Sale Background Check Requirements

The Tacoma City Council is scheduled to take up what could be a pretty controversial topic. A resolution in support of Washington State Initiative 594 appears on the agenda for next week's Council meeting.

A resolution expressing support for the passage of Initiative Measure No. 594 submitted for the November 4, 2014 General Election which reads as follows:

GENERAL ELECTION - INITIATIVE MEASURE NO. 594

Initiative Measure No. 594 concerns background checks for firearm sales and transfers. This measure would apply currently used criminal and public safety background checks by licensed dealers to all firearm sales and transfers, including gun show and online sales, with specific exceptions. Should this measure be enacted into law? [ ] Yes [ ] No [Mayor Strickland]

The resolution, put forward by Mayor Strickland, and sponsored by Deputy Mayor Woodards and Council Members Mello and Walker, would give the City Council's support to the statewide initiative requiring background checks for all gun sales in the state.

Currently background checks are federally required for sales by firearms dealers, but allows for the dealer to complete the sale if the background check is not returned within three business days. Washington state law only requires background checks for the sale of pistols, and only if the seller is a firearms dealer. The sale is also allowed to proceed if the results of the background check don't come back within five business days.

I-594 would apply the Washington state requirements for firearm sales by licensed dealers to all firearms sales where at least one of the parties is in Washington. This would include sales and transfers at gun shows, online, and between unlicensed private individuals, and would apply to all firearms, not just pistols.

The City has declared next week (September 22 through 26) to be "Gun SafeT Week," and is asking all Tacoma gun owners to be safe in their use and storage of their weapons. You can expect to start seeing gun safety ads on posters, buses, and television. There will be events all week, including a community discussion on Wednesday.

Filed under: City Council, Legislation, City Government, Public Safety

9 comments

Ron September 19, 2014

People wake up, registration always leads to confiscation. Confiscation to democide. The largest cause of death in the last 100 years. Go to ballisticburial dot com and get ready you will need this.
- RHTCCComedyfan September 25, 2014
  
  Cardiovascular Disease is the largest cause of death by far and so are other many other medical conditions/diseases.
Tim Smith September 20, 2014

You can’t change criminal behavior by criminalizing lawful behavior. 594 is punitive to lawful firearms owners. Proponents want you to “pass it so you can find out what’s in it.” Before you vote, consult your attorney to see how it criminalizes your behavior. Want to lend your sister-in-law a gun to protect herself? Want to loan your adult sons shotguns to go hunting? 594 makes you a criminal! A police officer who loans a personal firearm to a fellow officer would face criminal prosecution. Virtually every temporary transfer of a handgun under the provisions of I-594 is subject to dealer regulation and completion of the Pistol Transfer Application, a copy of which RCW 9.41.110(9) requires be sent to the Department of Licensing for inclusion in the state database of law-abiding handgun owners. The council SHOULD examine the depth and nature of their Police Dept violation of CFR 28. That would be a good discussion.
wayne holt September 20, 2014

Even if you support background checks this flawed initiative goes way beyond background checks. If they wanted to expand background checks to private sales they could do that with a clear and concise document. Instead they have 18 pages of confusion. The issues with transfers are one of the weaknesses of this initiative. Not only does this go way beyond what the supporters describe it as, it goes beyond the federal laws are. I feel that the supporters have been less than honest with the public about what is in this initiative. Everyone should read the entire text of I 594 before they make their decision.
Jesse September 20, 2014

Seems like commenters think that loaning your gun out to friends and relatives is considered responsible gun ownership. Scary.
- jDHasty September 20, 2014
  
  Jesse, There are a lot of people who have been raised in families that teach responsibility and they also chose friends who are worthy of being trusted. If you cannot relate to that it says a lot about what kind of family you were rased in and even more about the company you keep.
JDHasty September 20, 2014

I had a cousin move here about twenty years ago and he had an opportunity to go elk hunting, but didn't have a rifle. I loaned him a Remington 30-06 and he left to go hinting with his boss the next morning and he returned it two weeks later along with a couple rolls of summer sausage. As for whether or not he had a hunting license, I assume he did or intended to get license and tags. I trusted that he wasn't going out poaching. As far as my loaning him the rifle, that was my business and not yours or anybody else's.
thackerspeed September 22, 2014

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the manufacture and distribution of arms is a significant economic driver. Likewise true, sometimes bad things happen to good Tacoman's. Let modern science and technology record the confused intuitions of uncivil servants in favor of capitalism under an authoritarian regime.
Tim Smith September 22, 2014

For sure this Mayor and council will continue their pattern of undermining and subverting the Bill of Rights. Long ago suppressed 1st amendment activities, continue to blow holes in the 4th and 5th amendments with pervasive use of STINGER II and LARIAT, and now the 2nd and 10th amendments get put in the shredder. Bravo Tacoma!