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WA Bill Aims At Gun Bans
Washington may be a blue state, but some of its conservative legislators have come out swinging after the apparent electoral victory of President-elect Donald Trump with the Dec. 5 introduction of legislation prohibiting gun bans in publicly supported venues.
Under the amendment to the state’s revised code, filed by Republican state representatives Matt Shea, David Taylor and Bob McCaslin, fans with concealed-carry permits must be allowed to pack heat inside concerts, sports events or even tailgate parties at publicly owned venues, if they so choose.
Under current law, people may already legally bring firearms into such facilities – unless a private operator like the NFL or a facility manager like Live Nation or AEG Live prohibits it.
The NFL and Major League Baseball do prohibit weapons at
The act’s language specifies not only public facilities, but the grounds of those facilities, meaning open-carry would be A-OK at parking lot tailgating parties, too.
“If you are concerned about bringing your family to a game, then that is an issue,” Amy Trask, a former executive with the Oakland Raiders who has served on the NFL’s security committee, told the Washington Post. “It’s not just an issue for one team; it’s an issue for all 32 teams. The teams know this. The league knows this.”
The legislation wouldn’t affect just sports stadiums. Arenas, convention centers, parks and other facilities that host concerts and other public events are included. The Seattle Times has noted that the bill – which is in the pre-filing stage only and yet to be calendared for legislative action – has little chance of passing.
Columnist Danny Westneat wrote that the act, one of several submitted by state conservatives after the general election, doesn’t have “much chance of going anywhere – we’re still a blue state. Of course, I figured Trump didn’t have much chance of going anywhere, either.”