Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and state Attorney General Bob Ferguson, both Democrats, announced legislative proposals at a press conference on Monday to prohibit the sale of so-called “assault weapons,” require permits to purchase guns, and make gun sellers potentially liable for crimes committed by private individuals.
The text of the legislation had not been released as of Friday, but the governor and attorney general released fact sheets with highlights of two of the proposals.
The fact sheet for the bill to ban the sale of “assault weapons” (pdf) defines the weapons as “semi-automatic weapons with at least one military-style feature. The weapon’s design allows it to be fired more easily, accurately and rapidly than a typical hunting rifle.”…