Ban on semi-automatic rifles passes Washington state Legislature in USA

The Democratic-controlled Washington state Legislature has cleared a ban on semi-automatic rifles. The governor is expected to sign the ban into law.

The ban will affect dozens of rifles which were once banned nationwide. These rifles are a popular weapon among the men who have been responsible for America’s mass shootings.

The country has had the most mass shootings during the first 100 days of a calendar year since 2009, but despite this attempts to ban automatic rifles previously have failed. There will, however, be exceptions for enforcement agencies and military personnel.

The new Washington law will block the sale, distribution, importation, and manufacture of more than 50 models, including AK-47s and AR-15s. These are guns that fire one bullet per trigger pull and then automatically reload for the next shot.

Once the law is signed by Democrate Governor, Jay Inslee it will become law immediately. Inslee is a long-time advocate of banning semi-automatic rifles. In March, when the bill passed the House Inslee said he has believed in it since 1974 when as a member of the US Congress, he voted to make the ban a federal law.

Inslee went on to say that the state of Washington “will not accept gun violence as normal” and that “lives would be saved because of the semi-automatic rifle ban.”

Two other pieces of legislation were also approved. These were the introduction of a 10-day waiting period for gun purchases and legislation to make gunmakers liable for negligent sales.

Republican state lawmakers contested the ban. Some said school buildings should be remodelled to make them less appealing as targets. They also said it infringes on people’s rights to defend themselves.