35th District representatives fight to protect Second Amendment rights

In an hours-long debate on House Bill 1163, Reps. Dan Griffey, R-Allyn, and Travis Couture, R-Allyn, fought hard to block the bill that threatens the Second Amendment rights of people in Washington state.

House Bill 1163 would further restrict gun ownership in Washington state by creating a permit-to-purchase program. To get a permit, buyers must complete a certified live-fire firearms safety training course. The bill also would add a requirement to complete an extensive certified live-fire firearms concealed pistol license safety training course before they could receive a CPL in addition to multiple other requirements that Griffey, Couture, and all House Republicans argued run afoul of the U.S. and Washington state Constitutions by severely infringing Washingtonians Second Amendment rights.

“This bill is an afront to the law-abiding citizens of our state,” said Griffey. “The oppressive nature of this policy is shocking, and I dare say one of the scariest proposals I have seen in my more than 10 years of serving as a state legislator. It goes far beyond just infringing on Washingtonians’ Second Amendment rights, including posing significant privacy concerns.”

“Every Washingtonian should be concerned about this policy, not just because it severely threatens our fundamental enumerated rights, but because of the data this bill requires the government to obtain and keep for a law-abiding citizen to exercise those rights, said Couture. “Under this policy, an application for a permit-to-purchase is the equivalent of a waiver to the state for all of your medical and mental health records. That level of government overreach that should scare every one of us.”

House Bill 1163 States:

A signed application for a permit to purchase firearms shall constitute a waiver of confidentiality and written request that courts, the health care authority, mental health institutions, and other health care facilities release information relevant to the applicant’s eligibility for a permit to purchase firearms to an inquiring court or the Washington state patrol firearms background check program.

“Washington state already has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the nation,” said Griffey. “The problem is all of these restrictions only hurt law-abiding citizens and threaten the ability of Washingtonians to defend themselves, including domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault survivors. On top of that, this bill puts extensive new responsibilities on an already stretched-thin and understaffed Washington State Patrol that is struggling to meet its current mission and clear a crime lab backlog for drug and DUI cases. We need to give them the resources to meet their current mission before tasking them with new responsibilities, let alone a program as significant as this program.”

“This bill is insane. It makes the people of my district and our state less safe,” argued Couture. “Democrats refusal to accept our commonsense amendments to improve this bill, such as exempting veterans, National Guard troops, and reservists who have all already passed extensive background checks and firearms training is a slap in the face to those who signed up to defend our nation and our freedoms, including our right to bear arms. The barriers to gun ownership under this bill are so extreme they make it appear as though the point is to prevent people from being able to meet the requirements.”

In addition to the constitutional and privacy concerns about the bill, Couture, Griffey, and other House Republicans stressed that the lack of availability of the required certified live-fire training courses in Washington would make it virtually impossible for those who want to buy a gun in the state to do so.

House Republicans offered nearly three dozen amendments that were all rejected by the majority party. The bill passed along party lines, with all House Republicans voting against the bill.

Additional Information

Watch Rep. Couture’s speech to exempt veterans

Watch Rep. Couture’s speech to exempt National Guard/Reservists

Watch Rep. Couture’s speech about limited access to live-fire training

Watch Rep. Couture’s speech on medical and mental health privacy concerns

Watch Rep. Couture’s speech on data privacy concerns

Watch Rep. Couture’s speech on requirement for permit applicants to watch traumatic training videos

Watch Rep. Griffey’s speech concerning the lack of resources at Washington State Patrol  

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Washington State House Republican Communications
houserepublicans.wa.gov