OLYMPIA, WA (March 9, 2017) — Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) cheered the defeat today of Washington’s House Bill 1122 by Rep. Ruth Kagi, a measure which sought to imprison parents or family members for injuries of minors and criminals when an unauthorized user accesses a firearm.

Said FPC’s Legislative Advocate Philip Watson of the failed bill, “We applaud the Washington State Legislature for listening to common sense on this and other bills this session. People have been charged under the current child endangerment laws and there’s no reason to slam a devastated family with more felony crimes after it has already experienced a tragedy.”

“This legislative session Washington FPC members and supporters have stood tall in stopping schemes to tax and track owners of commonly owned firearms and magazines, as well as outright bans on those same constitutionally protected items. The list of defeated anti-gun-owner measures now includes HB 1122, which would have made gun owners criminally liable for crimes or tragedies resulting from a criminal theft of firearms or the acts of minors.

“With the failure of this measure and the so-called Assault Weapons Ban, the civilian disarmament agenda is being stopped for now in Washington State,” Watson continued

“Rights shouldn’t have borders, and they shouldn’t have walls either. Washingtonians are tired of out-of-state interests buying our elections and chilling our civil rights—and they have made their voices heard loud and clear in the legislature.

Firearms Policy Coalition (www.firearmspolicy.org) is a 501(c)4 grassroots nonprofit organization. FPC’s mission is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, especially the fundamental, individual Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.