WeedWacker
Member
- Joined
- May 31, 2007
- Messages
- 100
WA silencer use bill Senate hearing!!!
- Thread starter Ranb
- Start date
- Status
yhtomit
Member
Thanks for the updates on this arduous process.
I hope this goes the way that marijuana legislation and attitudes are shifting, nationwide. Suppressors are a health issue.
timothy
I hope this goes the way that marijuana legislation and attitudes are shifting, nationwide. Suppressors are a health issue.
timothy
carnaby
Member
Any updates? Wasn't SB 5112 to have a public hearing tomorrow? Still on?
Bill 5112 is dead. The deadline for action on any Senate bill was March 7. Now they are only considering budget bills and those from the House.
The Senate Judiciary hearing for bill 1016 is Wednesday (today) at 1:30pm at the O'Brien building.
Ranb
The Senate Judiciary hearing for bill 1016 is Wednesday (today) at 1:30pm at the O'Brien building.
Ranb
rustedangel
Member
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2010
- Messages
- 42
One of the aides for the legislators I called regarding getting SB5112 out of rules committee told me it was fairly likely they would use HB1016 as the vehicle to get the bill through the senate, instead of passing SB5112 and reconciling it. I was also told by several aides that both bills were popular and considered very likely to pass. I plan to keep watching 1016.
Wait. The Senate Judicial Committee agenda says the meeting is in the J.A. Cherberg building in the Senate Hearing Room #1.
"Full Committee
Senate Hearing Rm 1
J.A. Cherberg Building
Olympia, WA"
EDIT: SOURCE
http://www.leg.wa.gov/SENATE/COMMITTEES/JUD/Pages/Agendas.aspx
carnaby
Member
Do pass! Sweet!
Yes, it was in the Cherberg building. Five people showed up to support, none opposed. Senator Kline acknowledged that bill 1016 is the same as bill 5112 and that there was no reason 1016 leave without a "do pass" recommendation. Representative Blake was the first to speak, and did so very briefly then left. Kline asked the five of us to send one up to speak so Tom was it.
One of the other committee members asked that they hold an executive session later that day. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1016&year=2011
Ranb
http://www.tvw.org/media/mediaplayer.cfm?evid=2011031049&TYPE=V&CFID=2428502&CFTOKEN=50085630&bhcp=1 The video of today's hearing also included an executive session in which bill 1016 was referred out of committee with a "do pass" recommendation.
One of the other committee members asked that they hold an executive session later that day. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1016&year=2011
Ranb
http://www.tvw.org/media/mediaplayer.cfm?evid=2011031049&TYPE=V&CFID=2428502&CFTOKEN=50085630&bhcp=1 The video of today's hearing also included an executive session in which bill 1016 was referred out of committee with a "do pass" recommendation.
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So for those of us that haven't been involved in politics for quite some time (if being a Page in olympia even counts as being involved) are there any more hurdles left? Is there any other way we can help?
Thanks Ranb for all the work you put into this!
Chris "the Kayak-Man" Johnson
@Ranb, I was also attended the meeting but did not sign in to testify for or against the speech. I from my vantage point I feel that we got a do pass in spite of our showing. As an outsider looking in, our showing and testimony were both weak.
@Kayak-Man, Basically if the bill leaves committee unchanged it will undergo several readings and trial votes in the Senate before going to a final vote. Once it passes through the final vote the only thing standing it it's way is the Governor's signature. Thanks to the strong support of the bill from the legislation I expect Governor Gregoire to sign the bill into law. Ninety-days after the close of this legislative session, the bill will take effect.
Edit: Right now I would like to take the time and recommend that everyone who lives in Washington and supports this bill to write a letter to your senator. If you do not know who your senator is, look them up using the state district finding tool.
@Kayak-Man, Basically if the bill leaves committee unchanged it will undergo several readings and trial votes in the Senate before going to a final vote. Once it passes through the final vote the only thing standing it it's way is the Governor's signature. Thanks to the strong support of the bill from the legislation I expect Governor Gregoire to sign the bill into law. Ninety-days after the close of this legislative session, the bill will take effect.
Edit: Right now I would like to take the time and recommend that everyone who lives in Washington and supports this bill to write a letter to your senator. If you do not know who your senator is, look them up using the state district finding tool.
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The testimony at Wednesday’s hearing was very weak. It was because we had nothing new to offer. We pretty much covered all of the bases at the two previous hearings and Kline said he did not need to hear anything else as no one showed up to oppose the bill. You may want to review the TVW videos of the other hearings; we were allowed to speak almost as long as we wanted and covered nearly everything that needed to be covered. I did forget to mention the silencer crime research I performed though. But each legislator got a summary of the crime data in a letter or e-mail from me.
The support for bill 1016 from the gun owning community in WA is very weak. I know many gun owners. Except for the several I have met at the hearings, I only know three gun owners in WA that actually own silencers. I know several that would like to, but when I asked them for some sort of support for the bill, they declined. In my opinion the average WA gun owner cares little for the right to keep and bear arms. They say they do, but their actions (or lack of them) speak much louder than their words.
When you said it got a do pass in spite of our showing, it was a real understatement. I feel we are getting this bill passed for two reasons. First is that our legislators finally know about the silencer use issue thanks to people contacting them. Second and more important is that silencers are a relatively benign issue in the state. Silencer crime is very rare, the police generally are not opposed to their ownership and use by civilians and it is not an important gun control issue in the state. Even Cease Fire Washington is not opposed to the silencer bill.
This means that legislators who would normally be leery about supporting a gun bill have a chance to come out in support of one that is unlikely to be held against them in the future by their anti-gun constituents.
I would like to see other restrictions eased in the future, but if we have the same kind of support we are getting now from the gun owners in the state, then we do not have a snowball's chance in hell of accomplishing anything.
If you have any suggestions about what we could have done better for bill 1016, post it. We always need fresh ideas.
Why did you not take a position at the hearing? Thanks.
Ranb
The only significant hurdle left is the Rules committee. They decide if it will get a vote on the Senate floor. Here are the members of the Rules committee. http://www.leg.wa.gov/Senate/Committees/RULE/Pages/MembersStaff.aspx
Write to them (letters and e-mail) and call them. Democrats first as they are the ones deciding what bills get attention. When you call or write, it is important to ask them that they "pull bill 1016 from the calendar". They (or their aide) may tell you to contact your own Senator or one of the four sponsors. Tell them you already have and you want to know if they will pull the bill. It is not enough that they “support” the bill or are “concerned” about it. They got to pull it from the calendar so it does not die again.
The silencer bill is getting much less attention than most other bills on the calendar in the Rules committee simply because few gun owners are bothering to call. There is no substitute for actually writing a letter or making a phone call. It is a very simple thing to do, so they know if they are not getting many calls about a bill, then few people actually give a damn about it. It is that simple. That is why the silencer use bill has died year after year. It will die again unless we give a f-ck this time.
Ranb
I didn't take a position because I was not there to speak, and when I say in spite of our showing, I mean at this particular event. Even though the speaker of the committee only wanted a brief testimony from one representative I would still expect us to put our best foot forward and perhaps consider wearing something besides jeans and a t-shirt. Our side just did not appear serious about the bill. I understand that most of the folks who have a vested intersted in this bill actually have jobs to attend, bills to pay, and guns to feed. Heck, I only made the event thanks to a last minute cancellation, but even I threw on a cheap suit and tie. Would you go to an arraignment in a case you were sure to win wearing a floral print Hawaiian shirt and shorts? If you were going to speak on behalf of your industry in front of your regulators, wouldn't you take the time to rehearse your lines? That's what I mean by a poor showing, but maybe I'm just taking the whole legislative process too seriously.
Now, I understand (and have been a participant in the letter writing campaign, just as there have been strong campaigns, both the one from the 2009-2010 legislative session, and now this one. The reason this bill is unopposed is exactly as you stated. Suppressors are a fairly benign device. Legally registered suppressors have not been used in many, if any, crimes in recent memory and they're just too hard to turn into a boogie man. It's almost like trying to ban car mufflers, to use a tired analogy.
It also helps our position when we remind people that the processes to own a suppressor is long, expensive, and requires a federal background check (though they seem to forget that purchasing a firearm at a store requires this as well). Not to mention the benefits that could be argued about noise pollution reduction at urban shooting ranges, or from hunting activities in frontier areas. Suppressors are just not an easy or beneficial target for the anti-firearm community to attack.
I agree! The only way we're going to get this through is if we keep on our legislators to get this thing through, but we shouldn't just be hounding on our legislators we need to hound on our local gun clubs. I haven't heard a peep from the Washington Arms Collectors other than nay saying. There haven't been any posting or publications at my local gun ranges calling for action. There just isn't enough awareness from our centralized institutions that many gun owner rely on for ANY gun news. We need to inform our fellow gun owners, and encourage our gun organizations (clubs, ranges, etc) to post information about the bill.
If the same 30 people keep writing the same 30 senators they're going to start ignoring our letters and our phone calls and we're going to watch yet another suppressor bill die in committee. It's just as simple as that.
Now, I understand (and have been a participant in the letter writing campaign, just as there have been strong campaigns, both the one from the 2009-2010 legislative session, and now this one. The reason this bill is unopposed is exactly as you stated. Suppressors are a fairly benign device. Legally registered suppressors have not been used in many, if any, crimes in recent memory and they're just too hard to turn into a boogie man. It's almost like trying to ban car mufflers, to use a tired analogy.
It also helps our position when we remind people that the processes to own a suppressor is long, expensive, and requires a federal background check (though they seem to forget that purchasing a firearm at a store requires this as well). Not to mention the benefits that could be argued about noise pollution reduction at urban shooting ranges, or from hunting activities in frontier areas. Suppressors are just not an easy or beneficial target for the anti-firearm community to attack.
I agree! The only way we're going to get this through is if we keep on our legislators to get this thing through, but we shouldn't just be hounding on our legislators we need to hound on our local gun clubs. I haven't heard a peep from the Washington Arms Collectors other than nay saying. There haven't been any posting or publications at my local gun ranges calling for action. There just isn't enough awareness from our centralized institutions that many gun owner rely on for ANY gun news. We need to inform our fellow gun owners, and encourage our gun organizations (clubs, ranges, etc) to post information about the bill.
If the same 30 people keep writing the same 30 senators they're going to start ignoring our letters and our phone calls and we're going to watch yet another suppressor bill die in committee. It's just as simple as that.
I was happy to have the guy in the jeans/t-shirt up there. When Kline asked that only one person be selected to represent the five of us who showed, I passed Tom my printout of stuff to read and asked him to go, as such he had no time to rehease what I handed to him two seconds before he approached the committee. Tom has been the only representative of the WA firearms industry to ever show up at a hearing for bills 1016 and 5112. He does not make much money and has to travel over 100 miles to get to Olympia.
There were several people who stood out from the rest at the hearings. Representative Blake (sponsor), Brian Wurst (WACOPS rep) and Tom Liehmon (former FFL/SOT, current SOT employee). WACOPS did not send a representative this time and Blake was very brief as he had nothing new to say. Tom is one of the key players here as the rest of us are merely hobbyist silencer makers or owners.
Yes, T-shirts are not the way to go, but his presence at the hearing more than made up for it in my opinion.
The attitude of the WAC is the same as its membership and the WA gun owner population as a whole. They don't care much at all.
Ranb
Prince Yamato
Member
The bill is in the Senate rules committee. If it passes out of the rules committee, then what? It goes to the governor for a signature or does it go back to the house and then the governor?
If the Senate passes the bill, it goes to the governor for her signature or can become law without it. I think it will pass with greater than a 2/3's majority in the Senate, if the Rules committee pulls it from the calendar for a vote on the floor.
I have been calling, but no one, Repulican or Democrat, will commit to pulling it for a vote. If they get the same number of phone calls and letters (very few they claim) they did for the other silencer bill, then they will let it die also. So we need to call and write more.
Ranb
I have been calling, but no one, Repulican or Democrat, will commit to pulling it for a vote. If they get the same number of phone calls and letters (very few they claim) they did for the other silencer bill, then they will let it die also. So we need to call and write more.
Ranb
MD_Willington
Member
Mar 18 - Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
41magsnub
Member
Good luck.. I'm jealous now. The MT suppressor bill to allow its use in the field died in the Senate committee 3 to 9 due to misinformation, ignorance, and ideology.
This is just a friendly reminder to all you Washingtonians.
We are stuck in what I'm going to lovingly refer to as "Senate Rules Committee Hell". This is where bills go to die. Really. This is where SB 5112 died. (SB 5112 was placed in the Senate Rules Committee X file. AKA, the bill boneyard.) Really, each committee is a chance for a bill to die without a hearing. Without a vote. Without any action on behalf of our representatives and Senators. Without action on behalf of a few good senators we're going to end up repeating all of this next year (or in a special session, but we all know how that worked out for HB 1604).
So here's what we we as in us. Us includes you. We need to mount an organized telephone, and letter writing campaign again. That means you need to pick up your telephone, fire up your word processor, or ink that quill and let your Senators know. Of course we will have to be polite, articulate, and not a bunch of mouth breathers. That means you will have to sit down and collect your thoughts. If you're going to speak with your senator or their staff rehearse your lines, and if you go visit them in person. Dress appropriately.
If you choose to contact your senators in writing, please proof read everything. Don't just proof read it yourself, share it with a friend. Preferably a friend who's literate and cares about suppressors. It's important to remember, a well written, articulate, printed, and signed letter carries a lot more weight than an email. Emails are cheap, and the fact that you spent $0.44 actually means something to the clerk, intern, or secretary who forwards your work on.
If one of the following Senators is your senatorhttp://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx (Super secret, Brad Owen is everybody's super senator. Send him lot of letters.) it is doubly important that you get in touch with them. These guys have a little more power than your average man or woman on the floor. They can actually get HB 1604 a real hearing and maybe even get us on the Senate floor.
SB 5112 IS DEAD. Long Live HB 1016!
Here's the list of people that need to get harassed.
Senate Rules Committee Roster:
And just a reminder, if you don't have a clue who your senator is look them up by using the state provided district finderhttp://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx.
IN CASE YOU MISSED MY SUBTLE HINT: EVERYONE NEEDS TO CONTACT THE OFFICE OF BRAD OWEN.
We are stuck in what I'm going to lovingly refer to as "Senate Rules Committee Hell". This is where bills go to die. Really. This is where SB 5112 died. (SB 5112 was placed in the Senate Rules Committee X file. AKA, the bill boneyard.) Really, each committee is a chance for a bill to die without a hearing. Without a vote. Without any action on behalf of our representatives and Senators. Without action on behalf of a few good senators we're going to end up repeating all of this next year (or in a special session, but we all know how that worked out for HB 1604).
So here's what we we as in us. Us includes you. We need to mount an organized telephone, and letter writing campaign again. That means you need to pick up your telephone, fire up your word processor, or ink that quill and let your Senators know. Of course we will have to be polite, articulate, and not a bunch of mouth breathers. That means you will have to sit down and collect your thoughts. If you're going to speak with your senator or their staff rehearse your lines, and if you go visit them in person. Dress appropriately.
If you choose to contact your senators in writing, please proof read everything. Don't just proof read it yourself, share it with a friend. Preferably a friend who's literate and cares about suppressors. It's important to remember, a well written, articulate, printed, and signed letter carries a lot more weight than an email. Emails are cheap, and the fact that you spent $0.44 actually means something to the clerk, intern, or secretary who forwards your work on.
If one of the following Senators is your senatorhttp://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx (Super secret, Brad Owen is everybody's super senator. Send him lot of letters.) it is doubly important that you get in touch with them. These guys have a little more power than your average man or woman on the floor. They can actually get HB 1604 a real hearing and maybe even get us on the Senate floor.
SB 5112 IS DEAD. Long Live HB 1016!
Here's the list of people that need to get harassed.
Senate Rules Committee Roster:
Code:
Owen, Brad (D) Chair LEG 220 (360) 786-7700
Prentice, Margarita (D) Vice Chair LEG 312 (360) 786-7616
Hewitt, Mike (R) * LEG 314 (360) 786-7630
Brown, Lisa (D) LEG 307 (360) 786-7604
Carrell, Mike (R) INB 102 (360) 786-7654
Eide, Tracey (D) LEG 305 (360) 786-7658
Fraser, Karen (D) LEG 404 (360) 786-7642
Harper, Nick (D) JAC 226 (360) 786-7674
Haugen, Mary Margaret (D) JAC 305 (360) 786-7618
Keiser, Karen (D) JAC 224 (360) 786-7664
King, Curtis (R) INB 205 (360) 786-7626
Kline, Adam (D) JAC 223 (360) 786-7688
Kohl-Welles, Jeanne (D) JAC 219 (360) 786-7670
McAuliffe, Rosemary (D) LEG 403 (360) 786-7600
Parlette, Linda Evans (R) LEG 316 (360) 786-7622
Pflug, Cheryl (R) LEG 415 (360) 786-7608
Rockefeller, Phil (D) JAC 218 (360) 786-7644
Schoesler, Mark (R) INB 110 (360) 786-7620
Stevens, Val (R) INB 105 (360) 786-7676
White, Scott (D) LEG 402 (360) 786-7690
Zarelli, Joseph (R) INB 204 (360) 786-7634And just a reminder, if you don't have a clue who your senator is look them up by using the state provided district finderhttp://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx.
IN CASE YOU MISSED MY SUBTLE HINT: EVERYONE NEEDS TO CONTACT THE OFFICE OF BRAD OWEN.
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leadcounsel
member
Contacted them!
carnaby
Member
Email sent to Mark Schoesler. My senator isn't on the rules committee.
Senator Eide is the current obstacle to bill 1016 getting a vote on the Senate floor. As the Majority Floor Leader, she is the one that decides which bills on the 2nd/3rd reading calendar get a vote on the floor.
I have been trying to make an appointment to speak to Senator Eide about bill 1016, but her aide says the Senator only has time for her constituents in District 30 (Federal Way and Lakeland area). I am in Belfair, so am not worthy of her time this week and next.
Bill 1016 is on the 2nd/3rd reading calendar. Click here; http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature/pages/calendar.aspx then click on “calendars” then on “senate floor activity report” then on “regular calendar” to see the bills that are scheduled to be voted on (possibly) by the Senate. The dates on the right are the bills that were already voted on.
There may be reasons why Eide might not allow debate on bill 1016. Maybe she plans to allow a third reading, but her aides will not reveal what her plans are. As you can see, all of the bills that got a third reading are passing so far. Some of them have less opposition than bill 1016, but three of them do not. Bill 1016 passed the House 88 to 4. Three other bills on the calendar did not do as well. HB1357 was 65/31, HB1489 was 58/39 and HB1846 was 80/16. I have contacted every Senator about HB 1016 at least once since the session began. While I did not hear back from most of them, most of those who replied did not indicate having any objections to the suppressor bill. Only two Senators (Kline and Roach) said they had reservations about silencer use, but both recommended that is be passed. None of the Senate aides I spoke to told me that they knew of any objections by their Senators to the bill. So unless Senator Eide has any personal objection to the bill or someone is pressuring her to make it die, she should allow it a vote on the Senate floor.
Someone from District 30 needs to contact her office at (360) 786-7658 and request an appointment to speak to her on the phone or in person. Be familiar with the bill and why it is important that it passes. Stress that it has died (as bill 1604) in the last several sessions, passed with very little opposition in the House, will benefit shooters and home owners near rifle ranges, will not cause crime and will eliminate a victimless crime from the Washington statutes.
If anyone is able to score some time with her, please let us now. I am available anytime at (360) 440-5889 if you want to discuss the bill prior to speaking to Senator Eide.
It is also a good idea to call your own Senator and Representatives and request that they lean on Brown and Eide to get 1016 on the floor.
Randy
I have been trying to make an appointment to speak to Senator Eide about bill 1016, but her aide says the Senator only has time for her constituents in District 30 (Federal Way and Lakeland area). I am in Belfair, so am not worthy of her time this week and next.
Bill 1016 is on the 2nd/3rd reading calendar. Click here; http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature/pages/calendar.aspx then click on “calendars” then on “senate floor activity report” then on “regular calendar” to see the bills that are scheduled to be voted on (possibly) by the Senate. The dates on the right are the bills that were already voted on.
There may be reasons why Eide might not allow debate on bill 1016. Maybe she plans to allow a third reading, but her aides will not reveal what her plans are. As you can see, all of the bills that got a third reading are passing so far. Some of them have less opposition than bill 1016, but three of them do not. Bill 1016 passed the House 88 to 4. Three other bills on the calendar did not do as well. HB1357 was 65/31, HB1489 was 58/39 and HB1846 was 80/16. I have contacted every Senator about HB 1016 at least once since the session began. While I did not hear back from most of them, most of those who replied did not indicate having any objections to the suppressor bill. Only two Senators (Kline and Roach) said they had reservations about silencer use, but both recommended that is be passed. None of the Senate aides I spoke to told me that they knew of any objections by their Senators to the bill. So unless Senator Eide has any personal objection to the bill or someone is pressuring her to make it die, she should allow it a vote on the Senate floor.
Someone from District 30 needs to contact her office at (360) 786-7658 and request an appointment to speak to her on the phone or in person. Be familiar with the bill and why it is important that it passes. Stress that it has died (as bill 1604) in the last several sessions, passed with very little opposition in the House, will benefit shooters and home owners near rifle ranges, will not cause crime and will eliminate a victimless crime from the Washington statutes.
If anyone is able to score some time with her, please let us now. I am available anytime at (360) 440-5889 if you want to discuss the bill prior to speaking to Senator Eide.
It is also a good idea to call your own Senator and Representatives and request that they lean on Brown and Eide to get 1016 on the floor.
Randy
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Well, that was exciting. The HB1016 passed it's third reading.
yeas, 47; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 2.
yeas, 47; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 2.
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