Washington Governor Takes Action on Guns After Obama Move

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Washington Governor Takes Action on Guns After Obama Move

By DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIP, ASSOCIATED PRESS
BURIEN, Wash. — Jan 7, 2016, 4:03 AM ET

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed an executive order aimed at curbing gun violence by improving data-sharing among government agencies and starting a new public health campaign on suicide prevention.

"We are not afraid to take action here in Washington state," Inslee said Wednesday after criticizing inaction by Congress on gun violence.

Inslee appears to be the first governor in the nation to take action on the issue after an announcement earlier this week by President Barack Obama regarding an executive order.

Inslee praised Obama's plan to create a more sweeping definition of gun dealers as a way to increase the number of sales requiring background checks. Both leaders are Democrats.

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Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/washington-governor-takes-action-guns-obama-move-36137263

[Nuclear Unicorn]

1. Increased data sharing between agencies and better suicide intervention?

The first was always assumed to be occurring then second has absolutely nothing to do with gun control but rather mental health. Frankly, I'm more than a little angry that both have taken this long to receive any attention and rely on the President's actions for political cover. This smells more like a failure of government leadership and responsibility rather than a bold initiative.

The governor should be ashamed, not congratulating himself.

[Duckhunter935]

2. why did he not do this a long time ago

We have been saying this for years and are just told it is NRA talking points. Is that still true after this bold move that should have happened years ago.

[DonP]

3. Two weeks ago "Mental Health" was just another "NRA Talking Point"

Now that the President included it in his EO, it's a wise move to reduce mass murder.

Some of them are pretty slow on the pick up but we'll see if the enthusiasm for expanded mental health has some staying power.

As far as the increase in licensing small private sellers, it's just "Back to the Future".

In the '90's Bill Clinton ordered the BATF to reduce the number of small sellers by eliminating "Kitchen Table Dealers" that didn't have a brick and mortar store, because they could be involved in selling to criminals. Now we're reversing course for the same reasons and we'll go back to kitchen table dealers.

Hell, if they do that, I may get a Class 1 FFL and get guns shipped direct to my door.

But at some point the Unintended Consequences might start to scare them off, when they realize what all that really means.

[Duckhunter935]

4. getting an FFL

Just might be worth it if they keep up with the talk of making it more expensive to do a simple background check.

[branford]

5. As a supporter of gun rights,

I want to know why it too so long to improve data-sharing and suicide prevention campaigns!

As others have suggested, I imagine such actions weren't popular when they were "NRA Talking Points©," but now gun controllers are so desperate to "do something" and for anything that can be spun as a "win" during an election year, that they'll conveniently forget that these steps have been championed for some time by their opponents.

I assume that the Washington governor will next proudly proclaim how he intends to start enforcing laws already on the books against straw purchases...

[Lizzie Poppet]

7. Plus, there should be a reaction to the changing marketplace.

E-commerce is steadily making grounds on brick-and-mortar commerce. It's no different with guns. High volume e-tailers like Bud's and Cheaper than Dirt are beginning to represent a big chunk of retail firearms purchases. ATF's policies need to account for this shift.

[branford]

8. The e-tailers will only send firearms to local FFL's

who then are required to comply with any state regulations.

The focus will properly remain on brick & mortar gun stores unless the firearm retail model legally changes and internet dealers can sell directly to consumers. I do not anticipate that this will happen any time soon.

[Lizzie Poppet]

9. Of course. My suggestion is that the prohibition on "kitchen table" FFLs be re-examined.

Perhaps an intermediate step between a Curios and Relics FFL and the "full monty," a way to accommodate casual gun show "dealers" and other such people and the trend towards ecommerce, particularly as brick-and-mortar gun stores become increasingly uncommon (which I suspect will prove the case).

[Eleanors38]

6. "The scales have fallen from my eyes!" sez Washington governor.