Judge Rejects Attempt To Block New Washington State Gun Restrictions
June 6, 2023 2:14PM PDT
FILE – Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signs House Bill 1240, which prohibits the manufacture, importation, distribution and sale of semi-automatic assault-style weapons in the state, April 25, 2023, at the state Capitol in Olympia, Wash. A U.S. judge on Tuesday, June 6, rejected a request to block a new Washington state law banning the sale of certain semi-automatic rifles, one of three measures recently signed by Inslee in an effort to reduce gun violence. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
SEATTLE (AP) — A federal judge has rejected a request to block a new Washington state law banning the sale of certain semi-automatic rifles.
U.S. District Judge Robert Bryan ruled Tuesday that given the “exceptional dangerousness of these weapons,” the state’s interest in regulating them trumps the challengers’ desire to purchase more assault weapons.
The law was signed by Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee in April and took immediate effect.
It prohibits the sale and manufacture of more than 50 types of guns, including AR- and AK-style rifles.
The measure does not bar the possession of such weapons by people who already have them.
Two gun-rights advocacy groups challenged the law, arguing it violates their constitutional right to bear arms.
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