There are stark differences between Republican Lynda Wilson, a certified National Rifle Association gun instructor, and incumbent state Rep. Monica Stonier, a Democrat and educator, who are both vying for the same legislative seat; but on one of the more divisive measures on the November ballot, they will both be voting “no.”
A measure expanding background checks to those purchasing firearms at a gun show or online failed to gain momentum during the legislative session. Now, it will be up to voters to decide. With the election fast approaching, those who hope to represent voters in Olympia this upcoming session have weighed in on how they will cast their vote on the controversial gun measure.
Stonier and Wilson are in the midst of one of the most competitive races in the region for the Position 1 House seat in the 17th Legislative District. Both said Initiative 594, which has garnered support from financially powerful backers such as Bill and Melinda Gates and Michael Bloomberg, would target “law-abiding citizens.”
“We need to get it right when it comes to the Second Amendment,” Stonier said.
Wilson said the initiative expanding background checks is ripe for misinterpretation and could create a slew of unintended consequences. One of the most commonly repeated criticisms of the law is it would criminalize someone who loans their gun to another. Wilson painted a scenario of handing her weapon to one of her students in her gun-safety course.
“When I hand another student that same gun, now I’m a felon,” Wilson said.
The proponents behind I-594 said Wilson’s scenario would actually not be a crime, since it would not qualify as a transfer under federal law nor the initiative. They also pointed out that there are exceptions, including: gifts between immediate family members, on antiques and relics, for temporary transfers for self-defense and loans for lawful hunting or sporting activities.
But the initiative, Wilson said, opens up too many “interpretable” gray areas.
Wilson said she will be voting this fall in favor of Initiative 591, which would prohibit the state from expanding background checks beyond what the federal government calls for and would also prohibit confiscation of firearms without due process, which current law already prohibits. Stonier said she will be casting a “no” vote for I-591.
Throughout the rest of the region, how legislative candidates plan to vote on the two gun measures is nearly split down party lines.
Seventeenth District Rep. Paul Harris, R-Vancouver, said he will vote against I-594, expanding background checks, and in favor of I-591, prohibiting any background checks that go beyond what is allowed under federal law. His Democratic opponent, Richard McCluskey, said he will vote the opposite way. McCluskey said the background expansion measure is “well-thought” out and provides citizen protection.
In the 49th District, Rep. Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver, who is running to keep his Position 2 House seat, said he was in favor of the background-checks measure when it was proposed in the Legislature and he remains in favor. Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee lobbied lawmakers to tackle the measure, but it failed to gain traction. Moeller’s Republican opponent, Lisa Ross, is attending Wilson’s gun-safety class this week to get her concealed weapons permit. She is against I-594 and in favor of I-591.
Rep. Sharon Wylie, D-Vancouver, is defending her seat against political newcomer Anson Service. Wylie said background checks are a reasonable action to take and would reduce gun violence. Funding mental health adequately, she added, would also help. Service could not be reached for comment.
In the 18th District, Rep. Brandon Vick, R-Vancouver, said he will vote against what he called an “overly burdensome” attempt to prevent law-abiding citizens from purchasing a firearm, or I-594. He’ll vote in favor of I-591. His Democratic opponent, Mike Briggs, is in favor of expanding background checks.
Democrat Maureen Winningham, who is going up against incumbent Rep. Liz Pike, R-Camas, said she’s a gun owner who has no problem with expanding background checks. Winningham said she believes everyone purchasing a gun should abide by the rules that currently apply to brick-and-mortar stores. Pike called I-594 an unfunded mandate that would use already scarce law enforcement resources to target people who might have transferred a firearm to a family member. Criminals, Pike said, will continue to break the law to obtain firearms.
The last time Washington voters saw a gun-related statewide measure on the ballot was in 1997. The measure, had it passed, would have required handgun owners to pass a safety course. It failed by a wide margin.
There is also a chance that the two dueling gun measures, although they are diametrically opposed, could both pass. An early poll showed both measures had nearly equal support, although I-594 has since pulled ahead in the polls. If both measures were to pass, it would likely be up to the state’s courts to decide the next step, which also could mean the issue ends up back in the Legislature.
