(The Center Square) - A coalition of gun rights advocacy groups and individual citizens have filed a lawsuit against a new Washington state ban on firearms deemed “assault weapons” as soon as the legislation was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee.
The complaint filed by the Firearms Policy Coalition and Second Amendment Foundation in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington argues that HB 1240’s ban on certain types of semi-automatic rifles, pistols and shotguns violates the Second and Fourteenth Amendment.
Taking effect the moment it was signed by Inslee on April 25, HB 1240 bans more than 60 semi-automatic rifles along with other semi-automatic rifles based on either length [shorter than 30 inches] or whether it has one or more accessory or feature. Certain types of semi-automatic shotguns and handguns would also be banned. The legislation was proposed by Attorney General Bob Ferguson and sponsored by Rep. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle.
