It is already illegal to have guns in libraries, bars, zoos, and transit facilities in Washington. Under a bill passed Wednesday by the state Senate, they would also be banned in parks, government buildings, and on county fairgrounds when a fair is open to the public.
Sen. Javier Valdez, D-Seattle, is the bill’s sponsor.
“It’s pretty critical and vital that we do our best here as a state legislature to keep our residents and families and children safe,” he said on the Senate floor Wednesday.
Sen. Jeff Holy, R-Cheney, who voted no, says criminals wouldn’t obey this law.
“I think we kind of have been battle-hardened enough, all of us at this point, to realize that’s not the case,” Holy said. “Lawful gun owners are not the problem.”
Senate Bill 5098 passed the Senate on a 28-21 vote. It now heads to the House. If it passes there and if Governor Ferguson signs it, the Seattle Times reports it would go into effect on July 26.
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