More bans on weapons that look like assault weapons
This time, in Seattle:
Seattle Police Department Chief Gil Kerlikowske has made closing the state’s gun-show loophole and passing an assault-weapons ban (as many states have already done since the federal ban expired in 2004) two of Seattle’s top legislative items for the upcoming session in Olympia. Unfortunately, Democratic house leadership, which is nervous about alienating moderates and Republicans, told the city that pushing gun control isn’t going to fly.
Police chiefs pass laws? And by many states, name one. Illinois tried and failed. Maryland tried and failed. All other state bans that I know of were in effect either before or during the federal ban. Could be wrong, of course.
December 8th, 2006 at 12:00 pm
I think a couple local city AWB’s may have passed since the expiration. In Colorado and Ohio, maybe?
December 8th, 2006 at 12:17 pm
Yup, I’m pretty sure Columbis, OH passed a city AWB. But that’s all I can think of.
December 9th, 2006 at 12:43 am
And the WA state Dems are definitely wary of overreaching right now. They replaced the Senator who had chaired the Senate Appropriations Committe for the sin of advocating for installing an income tax.
They want an income tax. They want more gun control. But income tax will cost them big in the suburbs, and gun control will cost them in rural areas (those union loggers and lumbermill workers love hunting and shooting.)
And Governor of King County Gregoire will likely face the same opponent she may or may not have actually beaten by less than 250 votes in 2008, and she’s been behind him in the polls since mid-2005.
December 9th, 2006 at 9:52 pm
Girly-kowsky needs to control himself. If I remember correctly, it was he who had his service pistol stolen out of his cruiser last year or the year before. The pistol is still not recovered, the investigation is closed (and forgotten by the papers).
He just wants to use his office as a bully pulpit, to try and pass more feel-good gun laws to make himself “popular” enough that he may not get unappointed (fired) when he screws up big-time in the near future.
He should also think about controlling his department. Seattle PD will, and has, hired officers that were let go from neighboring depatrtments due to “ethics issues”. They claim they have to due to the limited number of applicants they get.
December 10th, 2006 at 12:24 pm
Wasn’t it Kerlikowski who held his officers back during the 2001 Mardi Gras riots because he didn’t want to “make things worse?” Meanwhile, one man was killed and a whole bunch hurt, not to mention the property damage.