D.W. Drang
Member
GOAL Post 2004-1
GOAL Chairman: Bruce Turner GOAL Legislative Liaison: Joe Waldron
Legislative Update from Olympia 16 January 2004
LEGISLATURE BACK IN SESSION
OLD BILLS – NEW BILLS
BILL TUTORIAL
LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR ADOPTED
ELECTION YEAR AND GUNS
NEW GUN-RELATED BILLS FILED
The Washington state legislature went back into session on Monday, January 12th. This is a short session year. The legislature must adjourn after 60 days (March 11th). Any additional work must then be conducted in a special session, if required.
Because this is the second session of a two year biennium, bills filed last year are still eligible for action, although most will stay dead and buried. For the first couple of issues of the GOAL Post, I’ll run bills from both years (2003, 2004) on the “Bill List.†I’ll drop them off when it’s unlikely they’ll move this year.
For those new to the list, here’s how the process works: When a bill is filed in the House or Senate (or both, simultaneously, called “companion billsâ€) it is assigned to a policy committee. Most gun-related bills go to the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Senate. In the House it’s a little more complicated, as it may be sent to House Judiciary, House Criminal Justice and Corrections, or House Juvenile Justice and Family Law. Public hearings may be held, after which the bill may (or may not) be voted out of committee. (If the bill has a fiscal impact (usually an expenditure of more than $50,000), it must then go to Senate Ways & Means or one of a few House fiscal committees.) The bill then goes to the Senate or House Rules Committee, where it must be voted on to pass out to the floor for a full vote. After a bill passes the Senate or
House, it then goes over to the opposite chamber (House or Senate), where the whole process starts over again. If the bill passes the second chamber in the same form it passed the first, it goes to the governor for signature (or veto). If changes are made in the second chamber, it goes back to the first for concurrence. It may also go to a conference committee from both chambers to resolve differences. The final version must pass both chambers.
One of the first items of business in each session is the adoption of the session calendar, identifying dates by which bills must clear various hurdles. The following cut-off dates apply to the 2004 session:
Jan 12 First day of the session
Feb 6 Bills must pass policy committee
Feb 10 *Bills must pass fiscal committee
Feb 17 Bills must pass originating chamber (House or Senate)
Feb 27 Bills must pass policy committee in second chamber
Mar 1 *Bills must pass fiscal committee in second chamber
Mar 5 Bills must pass second chamber
Mar 11 Sine die – regular session ends
* Only those bills with major fiscal impact must pass the appropriate fiscal committee. Other bills go from their policy committee to House or Senate Rules to await a full floor vote.
This is a major election year, and election years are funny. Certain topics are hot, while others are taboo. At the national level, Democrat presidential candidates are all proclaiming their devotion to the Second Amendment, more or less. The “less†part is their universal support for an extension or expansion of the so-called assault weapon ban and closing the “gun show loophole.†ALL of the Democrat candidates support this legislation. If you believe in Santa Claus or the tooth fairy, then go ahead and believe the Democrat candidates on the gun issue. But you’re in for some disappointment.
At the state level, things get a little mushier. For the most part, Seattle controls the Democrat caucus in Olympia. And the Seattle gang is exceptionally anti-gun. Rural Democrats are a different breed in many cases. The Republican caucus is mostly (but not entirely) pro-gun. Republicans control the Senate with 25 of 49 seats. Democrats control the House 53-46. Then add in Governor Locke, a Seattleite who is no friend of gun owners. What that means is, as a general rule, 2/3 of the process is hostile to gun owners.
Eight new gun-related bills have been filed this week:
SB 6389 (Brandland) Adds the designated restricted areas of airports to those areas where possession of firearms is prohibited
HB 2310 (Carrell) Clarifies the requirements to obtain emergency issue of a concealed pistol license
HB 2473 (Clibborn) Probibits law enforcement officers subject to court action on DV issues from carrying in the courthouse at related hearings
HB 2493 (Delvin) Clarifies when the CPL renewal actually takes effect for early or late renewals
HB 2494 (Delvin) Protects gun manufacturers from frivolous lawsuits
HB 2544 (Condotta) Clarifies definition of "dangerous weapons" as it applies to the “gun free school zoneâ€
HB 2600 (Carrell) Clarifies restoration of firearms rights for individuals found not guilty by reason of insanity
HB 2671 (Moeller) Expands definition of “convicted†and makes restoration of firearm rights more difficult
OLD BILL STATUS:
Bill # Subject Sponsor Status
SB 5083 CPL Reciprocity Stevens (R-39) Senate Rules.
SB 5315 Ballistic imaging Kohl-Welles (D-36) S. Jud.
SB 5316 Gun show regulation Kohl-Welles (D-36) S.Jud.
SB 5317 Safe storage of firearms Kohl-Welles (D-36) S.Jud.
SB 5847 Gun shop security Regala (D-27) S. Jud.
SB 5910 Range protection Roach (R-31) S. Rules
HB 1319 Lawsuit protection Delvin (R-8) H. Jud.
HB 1321 Gun show regulation Kagi (D-32) H. Jud.
HB 1657 Range protection Kessler (D-24) H. Jud.
HB 1665 Restraining orders Lovick (D-44) H. Jud
HB 1791 Safe storage of firearms Moeller (D-49) H. Jud.
HB 1810 CPL reciprocity Cairnes (R-47) H. Jud.
HB 2074 Gun shop security Darneille (D-27) H. Jud.
HB 2077 CPL reciprocity Kristiansen (R-39) H. Jud.
HB 2099 Lead shot ban Kagi (D-32) H. Fish/Ecol
Key to abbreviations: S. = Senate, H. = House, Jud = Judiciary, CJ&J = Criminal Justice & Corrections, Fish/Ecol = Fisheries, Ecology & Parks, JuvJust = Juvenile Justice, Educ = Education, LocGov = Local Government, NatRes = Natural Resources, Parks & Shorelines; W&M = Ways and Means
NEW BILL STATUS:
Bill # Subject Sponsor Status
SB 6389 Airport gun restrictions Brandland (R-42) S. Jud.
HB 2310 Emergency CPL Carrell (R-28) H. Jud.
HB 2473 LEO DV firearms Clibborn (D-41) H. Jud.
HB 2493 CPL renewal date Delvin (R-8) H. Jud.
HB 2494 Firearms industry prot. Delvin (R-8) H. Jud.
HB 2544 GFSZ “dangerous weapons†Condotta (R-12) H. Jud.
HB 2600 Restoration of firearm rights Carrell (R-28) H. Jud
HB 2671 Expanded disqualifiers Moeller (D-49) H. Jud.
Key to abbreviations: S. = Senate, H. = House, Jud = Judiciary, CJ&J = Criminal Justice & Corrections, Fish/Ecol = Fisheries, Ecology & Parks, JuvJust = Juvenile Justice, Educ = Education, LocGov = Local Government, NatRes = Natural Resources, Parks & Shorelines; W&M = Ways and Means
HEARINGS SCHEDULED:
22 Jan House Judiciary HB 2310 and HB 2473
8-10: a.m. House Hearing Room “Bâ€
LEGISLATIVE HOT LINE: You may reach your Representatives and Senator by calling the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000. Toll free!!! The hearing impaired may obtain TDD access at 1-800-635-9993. Also toll free!!!
1-800-562-6000 TDD 1-800-635-9993
OTHER DATA: Copies of pending legislation (bills), legislative schedules and other information are available on the legislature's web site at "www.leg.wa.gov". It's available in two versions: text (.txt) file or Acrobat (.pdf) file. The "Acrobat" version is preferred as it is easier to read and is an exact copy of the hard copy format the legislators use. You may download a free version of Adobe Acrobat from Adobe's web site. You may also obtain hard copy bills, initiatives, etc, in the mail from the Legislative Bill Room FREE OF CHARGE by calling 1-360-786-7573.
Copies of bills may also be ordered toll free by calling the Legislative Hotline at (800) 562-6000. You may also hear floor and committee hearing action live at http://www.tvw.org/ (you need "RealAudio" to do this, available free at the TVW web site).
By reading the House and Senate "bill reports" (hbr, sbr) for each bill, you can see how individual committee members voted. By reading the "roll call" for each bill, you can see how the entire House or Senate voted on any bill. The beauty of the web site is that ALL this information is available, on line, to any citizen.
GET THE WORD OUT: If you want to subscribe to the Goal Post by e-mail, send a message to "[email protected]". Please pass Goal Post on to anyone you believe may have an interest in protecting our rights. Better yet, make a couple of copies of this message, post it on your gun club’s bulletin board, and leave copies with your local gun shop(s).
PERMISSION IS HEREBY GRANTED TO DUPLICATE OR REDISTRIBUTE GOAL POST PROVIDED IT IS REPRODUCED IN ITS ENTIRETY WITHOUT TEXTUAL MODIFICATION AND CREDIT IS GIVEN TO GOAL.
I can be reached at "[email protected]" or (during session) by telephone at (425) 454-4911. Unfortunately, I am unable to mail hard copy Goal Post to individuals. Limited numbers of hard copies MAY be available at WAC gun shows.
Upcoming WAC gun show(s):
Monroe 17-18 January
Puyallup 31 January—1 February
"The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed body of men."
Article 1, Section 24
Constitution of the State of Washington
Copyright 2004 Gun Owners Action League of WA
GOAL Chairman: Bruce Turner GOAL Legislative Liaison: Joe Waldron
Legislative Update from Olympia 16 January 2004
LEGISLATURE BACK IN SESSION
OLD BILLS – NEW BILLS
BILL TUTORIAL
LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR ADOPTED
ELECTION YEAR AND GUNS
NEW GUN-RELATED BILLS FILED
The Washington state legislature went back into session on Monday, January 12th. This is a short session year. The legislature must adjourn after 60 days (March 11th). Any additional work must then be conducted in a special session, if required.
Because this is the second session of a two year biennium, bills filed last year are still eligible for action, although most will stay dead and buried. For the first couple of issues of the GOAL Post, I’ll run bills from both years (2003, 2004) on the “Bill List.†I’ll drop them off when it’s unlikely they’ll move this year.
For those new to the list, here’s how the process works: When a bill is filed in the House or Senate (or both, simultaneously, called “companion billsâ€) it is assigned to a policy committee. Most gun-related bills go to the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Senate. In the House it’s a little more complicated, as it may be sent to House Judiciary, House Criminal Justice and Corrections, or House Juvenile Justice and Family Law. Public hearings may be held, after which the bill may (or may not) be voted out of committee. (If the bill has a fiscal impact (usually an expenditure of more than $50,000), it must then go to Senate Ways & Means or one of a few House fiscal committees.) The bill then goes to the Senate or House Rules Committee, where it must be voted on to pass out to the floor for a full vote. After a bill passes the Senate or
House, it then goes over to the opposite chamber (House or Senate), where the whole process starts over again. If the bill passes the second chamber in the same form it passed the first, it goes to the governor for signature (or veto). If changes are made in the second chamber, it goes back to the first for concurrence. It may also go to a conference committee from both chambers to resolve differences. The final version must pass both chambers.
One of the first items of business in each session is the adoption of the session calendar, identifying dates by which bills must clear various hurdles. The following cut-off dates apply to the 2004 session:
Jan 12 First day of the session
Feb 6 Bills must pass policy committee
Feb 10 *Bills must pass fiscal committee
Feb 17 Bills must pass originating chamber (House or Senate)
Feb 27 Bills must pass policy committee in second chamber
Mar 1 *Bills must pass fiscal committee in second chamber
Mar 5 Bills must pass second chamber
Mar 11 Sine die – regular session ends
* Only those bills with major fiscal impact must pass the appropriate fiscal committee. Other bills go from their policy committee to House or Senate Rules to await a full floor vote.
This is a major election year, and election years are funny. Certain topics are hot, while others are taboo. At the national level, Democrat presidential candidates are all proclaiming their devotion to the Second Amendment, more or less. The “less†part is their universal support for an extension or expansion of the so-called assault weapon ban and closing the “gun show loophole.†ALL of the Democrat candidates support this legislation. If you believe in Santa Claus or the tooth fairy, then go ahead and believe the Democrat candidates on the gun issue. But you’re in for some disappointment.
At the state level, things get a little mushier. For the most part, Seattle controls the Democrat caucus in Olympia. And the Seattle gang is exceptionally anti-gun. Rural Democrats are a different breed in many cases. The Republican caucus is mostly (but not entirely) pro-gun. Republicans control the Senate with 25 of 49 seats. Democrats control the House 53-46. Then add in Governor Locke, a Seattleite who is no friend of gun owners. What that means is, as a general rule, 2/3 of the process is hostile to gun owners.
Eight new gun-related bills have been filed this week:
SB 6389 (Brandland) Adds the designated restricted areas of airports to those areas where possession of firearms is prohibited
HB 2310 (Carrell) Clarifies the requirements to obtain emergency issue of a concealed pistol license
HB 2473 (Clibborn) Probibits law enforcement officers subject to court action on DV issues from carrying in the courthouse at related hearings
HB 2493 (Delvin) Clarifies when the CPL renewal actually takes effect for early or late renewals
HB 2494 (Delvin) Protects gun manufacturers from frivolous lawsuits
HB 2544 (Condotta) Clarifies definition of "dangerous weapons" as it applies to the “gun free school zoneâ€
HB 2600 (Carrell) Clarifies restoration of firearms rights for individuals found not guilty by reason of insanity
HB 2671 (Moeller) Expands definition of “convicted†and makes restoration of firearm rights more difficult
OLD BILL STATUS:
Bill # Subject Sponsor Status
SB 5083 CPL Reciprocity Stevens (R-39) Senate Rules.
SB 5315 Ballistic imaging Kohl-Welles (D-36) S. Jud.
SB 5316 Gun show regulation Kohl-Welles (D-36) S.Jud.
SB 5317 Safe storage of firearms Kohl-Welles (D-36) S.Jud.
SB 5847 Gun shop security Regala (D-27) S. Jud.
SB 5910 Range protection Roach (R-31) S. Rules
HB 1319 Lawsuit protection Delvin (R-8) H. Jud.
HB 1321 Gun show regulation Kagi (D-32) H. Jud.
HB 1657 Range protection Kessler (D-24) H. Jud.
HB 1665 Restraining orders Lovick (D-44) H. Jud
HB 1791 Safe storage of firearms Moeller (D-49) H. Jud.
HB 1810 CPL reciprocity Cairnes (R-47) H. Jud.
HB 2074 Gun shop security Darneille (D-27) H. Jud.
HB 2077 CPL reciprocity Kristiansen (R-39) H. Jud.
HB 2099 Lead shot ban Kagi (D-32) H. Fish/Ecol
Key to abbreviations: S. = Senate, H. = House, Jud = Judiciary, CJ&J = Criminal Justice & Corrections, Fish/Ecol = Fisheries, Ecology & Parks, JuvJust = Juvenile Justice, Educ = Education, LocGov = Local Government, NatRes = Natural Resources, Parks & Shorelines; W&M = Ways and Means
NEW BILL STATUS:
Bill # Subject Sponsor Status
SB 6389 Airport gun restrictions Brandland (R-42) S. Jud.
HB 2310 Emergency CPL Carrell (R-28) H. Jud.
HB 2473 LEO DV firearms Clibborn (D-41) H. Jud.
HB 2493 CPL renewal date Delvin (R-8) H. Jud.
HB 2494 Firearms industry prot. Delvin (R-8) H. Jud.
HB 2544 GFSZ “dangerous weapons†Condotta (R-12) H. Jud.
HB 2600 Restoration of firearm rights Carrell (R-28) H. Jud
HB 2671 Expanded disqualifiers Moeller (D-49) H. Jud.
Key to abbreviations: S. = Senate, H. = House, Jud = Judiciary, CJ&J = Criminal Justice & Corrections, Fish/Ecol = Fisheries, Ecology & Parks, JuvJust = Juvenile Justice, Educ = Education, LocGov = Local Government, NatRes = Natural Resources, Parks & Shorelines; W&M = Ways and Means
HEARINGS SCHEDULED:
22 Jan House Judiciary HB 2310 and HB 2473
8-10: a.m. House Hearing Room “Bâ€
LEGISLATIVE HOT LINE: You may reach your Representatives and Senator by calling the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000. Toll free!!! The hearing impaired may obtain TDD access at 1-800-635-9993. Also toll free!!!
1-800-562-6000 TDD 1-800-635-9993
OTHER DATA: Copies of pending legislation (bills), legislative schedules and other information are available on the legislature's web site at "www.leg.wa.gov". It's available in two versions: text (.txt) file or Acrobat (.pdf) file. The "Acrobat" version is preferred as it is easier to read and is an exact copy of the hard copy format the legislators use. You may download a free version of Adobe Acrobat from Adobe's web site. You may also obtain hard copy bills, initiatives, etc, in the mail from the Legislative Bill Room FREE OF CHARGE by calling 1-360-786-7573.
Copies of bills may also be ordered toll free by calling the Legislative Hotline at (800) 562-6000. You may also hear floor and committee hearing action live at http://www.tvw.org/ (you need "RealAudio" to do this, available free at the TVW web site).
By reading the House and Senate "bill reports" (hbr, sbr) for each bill, you can see how individual committee members voted. By reading the "roll call" for each bill, you can see how the entire House or Senate voted on any bill. The beauty of the web site is that ALL this information is available, on line, to any citizen.
GET THE WORD OUT: If you want to subscribe to the Goal Post by e-mail, send a message to "[email protected]". Please pass Goal Post on to anyone you believe may have an interest in protecting our rights. Better yet, make a couple of copies of this message, post it on your gun club’s bulletin board, and leave copies with your local gun shop(s).
PERMISSION IS HEREBY GRANTED TO DUPLICATE OR REDISTRIBUTE GOAL POST PROVIDED IT IS REPRODUCED IN ITS ENTIRETY WITHOUT TEXTUAL MODIFICATION AND CREDIT IS GIVEN TO GOAL.
I can be reached at "[email protected]" or (during session) by telephone at (425) 454-4911. Unfortunately, I am unable to mail hard copy Goal Post to individuals. Limited numbers of hard copies MAY be available at WAC gun shows.
Upcoming WAC gun show(s):
Monroe 17-18 January
Puyallup 31 January—1 February
"The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed body of men."
Article 1, Section 24
Constitution of the State of Washington
Copyright 2004 Gun Owners Action League of WA