Governors at the far ends of the country—Republican Glenn Youngkin in Virginia and Democrat Jay Inslee in Washington—just provided a lesson on the difference between common sense and nonsense to the nation, as one vetoed several extremist gun control bills while the other signed more restrictive measures into law, according to murmurs from Second Amendment grassroots.
Youngkin, stating how “I swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia and today, I’ve done exactly that,” vetoed 30 gun control bills passed by majority Democrats in Richmond.
According to Fox News, Youngkin’s veto message was matter-of-fact: “The Constitution precludes the Commonwealth from prohibiting a broad category of firearms widely embraced for lawful purposes, such as self-defense. Despite this, certain members of the General Assembly have pursued legislation banning most contemporary semiautomatic firearms and specific ammunition-feeding devices.”
At the far end of the country, Inslee—who is perhaps best known for his “climate change” platform and short-lived presidential campaign—inked four gun control bills that could draw legal challenges from a prominent gun rights organization, according to the Seattle Times. They are:
- Senate Bill 5444 prohibits people from carrying firearms in public libraries, zoos, aquariums, and transit facilities unless they have a concealed pistol license. KING News in Seattle’s headline on this story is misleading: “New bill makes it illegal for Washingtonians to carry firearms in these locations.”
- House Bill 1903 requires gun owners to report lost or stolen guns to police within 24 hours after they discover the theft or loss. Current law allows crime victims five days to report such thefts or losses.
- House Bill 2118, known as the “FFL Killer,” requires gun dealers to install and maintain expensive alarm systems and 24-hour video surveillance and other security measures. They must also carry general liability insurance covering $1 million per incident and reply quickly to law enforcement inquiries. Many small businesspeople are worried this will literally force them out of business.
- House Bill 2021 authorizes the Washington State Patrol to destroy confiscated firearms and requires police and sheriff’s departments to destroy most guns obtained through so-called “gun-buyback” programs, which historically have not had an impact on crime.
But veteran gun rights advocate Alan Gottlieb, founder and executive vice president of the Second Amendment Foundation and chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, told the Times via email that his group “is currently working with our attorneys on a potential lawsuit to challenge these new laws.”
Back in Virginia, the Richmond Times-Dispatch is reporting that Youngkin “vetoed an array of Democratic gun control measures ranging from age limits to waiting periods, from requirements for concealed carry permits and gun storage, to civil liability rules.”
Translation: When Democrats take control of a legislature, they push waves of gun control measures.
That much is evident out in the Evergreen State, where, as noted by the Seattle Times, the bills signed by Democrat Inslee—who is not running for another term—build on “last year’s major swath of gun laws passed by the Democratic majority Legislature, including a ban on AR-15s and dozens of other semi-automatic rifles and a 10-day waiting period for firearm purchases.” The semi-auto ban is already being challenged in federal court by SAF and others.
Inslee’s Democrat heir-apparent, Attorney General Bob Ferguson, is an anti-gunner who boasts, “My legal team remains undefeated against the gun lobby in court.” However, he is facing a stiff challenge from former King County Sheriff and retired Congressman Dave Reichert, and from a lesser-known candidate named Semi Bird. Ferguson also is being challenged in the primary by Democrat State Sen. Mark Mullett. However, the odds currently favor a November match between Ferguson and Reichert.
According to Seattle’s KOMO News, Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz told reporters last year that nearly one-third of all guns seized by his officers had been reported as stolen. Last year set a record for recovering stolen firearms, Diaz said at the time.
The stark contrast between Republican Youngkin’s and Democrat Inslee’s way of dealing with restrictive gun control underscores the principle that “elections matter.” Democrat governors across the landscape have been signing gun control legislation in Michigan, Washington, Maine, New Mexico, and other states, while Youngkin, Louisiana’s Jeff Landry, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster protected or advanced Second Amendment rights in their states.
About Dave Workman
Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms, and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.
