Meeting with Representative Petersen about silencer bill.

[Ranb]

I and one of the members on the Northwest Firearms Forum met with Representative Jamie Petersen in Seattle to discuss House bill 1604. WA is the only state that allows silencers, but prohibits their use. This bill would make an exception for those owners who own them legally. I thought it was amusing that I could not find an American to accompany me to the meeting, but that an Aussie was willing to. But I was happy to have him with as he is a better talker than I am.

We were able to discuss the legalities of silencer ownership and the advantages of their use; particularly hearing protection and reduction of noise pollution. Petersen claims he is not actually against silencer use, but he had over 150 bills to consider and not one person told him that bill 1604 was a priority. So he of course did not take any action on it and let it die, again.

Based on the general attitudes of WA gun owners towards silencers and the number of WA gun owners who tell me I am a criminal for owning silencers, I am not surprised that any Representative hasn't heard enough from their constituents to push this bill.

Petersen made it very clear during the meeting that he needs someone (another Representative) to tell him the bill is a priority. He only gives hearings to those bills that are worthy of the committee's time. And so far according to him, no one in Olympia thinks bill 1604 is worthy of his time. I know I sound like a broken record, but we all need to contact our Representatives and ask them to give this bill some attention.

Ranb

 

[aka108]

I think he smoozed you.

 

[rbernie]

We were able to discuss the legalities of silencer ownership and the advantages of their use; particularly hearing protection and reduction of noise pollution.

Good job - I wish I could help.

 

[Ranb]

I think he smoozed you.

It is possible. But you have to understand that even the sponcers of bill 1604 do not care enough about it to reply to emails I send asking them to support it. One of my own Representatives in District 35 (Haigh) refuses to support it. The Republican members of the Judiciary committee have remained silent on the bill also. I tried to encourage the membership of the Washington Arms Association to help lobby, but they could not be bothered either. In the few replies I have recieved from other Representatives in Olympia, not a single one of them contradicted what Petersen had to say about the bill. One of the other Judiciary members did say that Petersen was not pro-gun, but this hardly matters if no one else on the committee is willing to push the bill.

I saw more support for gun rights in oppressive Hawaii than I do in WA. The gun owners in WA it seems just do not care about title 2 firearms. When they do not care enough to write, their representatives are not going to stick their necks out for the few that do.

Ranb

 

[aka108]

Politicians are all alike. 25 years ago my daughter and I sent one letter each to a Florida Senator in DC. Forgot the guys name. Anyhow her letter was explaining her anti deer hunting feelings and that it was a cruel sport that should be banned. My letter was just the opposite, supporting deer hunting and in general the shooting sports. Well I'll be damned. That guy sent each of us a reply that was identical. Saying basically that he fully understood our feelings and that he would be thinking about us when he votes in Congress. That is smoozing. I still think you got smoozed and simply blown off by some of the others. Over the years I come to feel that once one of these politicians serves more than a couple of terms, they all become very much alike.

 

[Ranb]

It has been my experience that no politician will tell you how they will vote on a particular bill unless they are the sponcer or they think it will not get to the floor for a vote. Anyway, Petersen has been the one Representative most likely to answer my emails in the past, and gives the most direct answers.

Whether or not he is personally against silencers, I do not know, but I believe him when he says this bill is not going to get any attention right now. I can only hope that it will get a hearing if or when I can get some of the other Reps to talk to him about it. It will be an uphill battle for sure though.

Ranb

 

[Ranb]

I have written to all of the bill 1604 sponsors. Upthegrove says he has written a letter to Pedersen asking him to give the bill a hearing next session. This is the most promising (but inadequate) development so far.

I also got a reply from Joel Kretz, one of other co-sponsors. His answer to my request to ask Pedersen to give bill 1604 a hearing was " Unfortunately with the current makeup of the legislature it will be difficult to move forward with this bill." If you read between the lines then this actually means "I will not push this bill because I do not care about gun owners."

Kretz actually told me he supports the right to keep and bear arms. He sure has a ridiculous way of showing it. If anyone here is in his district, you might want to ask him why he claims to support the RKBA but is not willing to push his own gun rights bill.

http://www.leg.wa.gov/house/representatives/Pages/kretz.aspx

Ranb

 

[Sam1911]

Frustrating! Keep up the good work, though!

 

[TheHossUSMC]

I think ignorance and misinformation (hollywood) give a bad name to an amazing product. I wish there was a way to make people wake up and understand what a benifit silencers would be if easier to obtain/own. Maybe a vid on the use of silencers in England?

 

[Ranb]

I am making a educational video that I will give to all of the Reps on DVD. I shot footage for it last year in Vegas, but it was so windy that the quality was too low. I should be able to get better stuff this July, then finish the video and send out to them.

Ranb