Judge lets weapon ban stand
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 3 months AGO
Guardian Arms owner Bruce Davis stands in his Moses lake shop. Davis and other plaintiffs filed a suit against the state after an assault weapons ban was enacted in late April.
FILE PHOTO
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | June 26, 2023 5:18 PM
OLYMPIA — Washington state’s ban on certain types of gun will stay in place, a Thurston County Superior Court ruled Friday.
“It’s another setback, but we’re gonna keep pushing forward,” said Guardian Arms owner Bruce Davis. “That’s all we can do.”
Judge Allyson Zipp, in an oral ruling, rejected a petition by Guardian Arms – a firearms dealer in Moses Lake — among other plaintiffs, to block implementation of HB 1240, sometimes called the Assault Weapons Ban, according to a press release from Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson. Zipp is expected to issue a written ruling on Monday.
HB 1240 was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee on April 25, and the Guardian Arms filed its petition the same day. The petition asserted that the law was unconstitutionally vague in its definition of “assault weapon,” and that the weapons it prohibited were not commonly used in the mass shootings the law was intended to prevent.
On June 6, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Bryan also rejected a request to block the law in a separate case, Hartford, et al. v. Ferguson, et al., the release noted.
“This is our second victory against the gun lobby’s attempt to block the ban on the sale of assault weapons,” Ferguson wrote in the release. “My legal team remains undefeated against the gun lobby in court. This common-sense gun reform will save lives by restricting access to the preferred weapon of mass shooters.”
Joel Martin may be reached at [email protected].
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Endless battle
Noxious Weed Control Board works to keep invasive plants under control
MOSES LAKE — Some of the nastiest plants in Grant County were the topic of a class led by Jay Johnson, a consultant with the Grant County Noxious Weed Control Board, Tuesday. The Noxious Weed Control Board, as its name would suggest, is tasked with keeping weeds under control in Grant County. That’s not a small job; the board’s website lists 129 species of noxious weeds that are found around Grant County. A noxious weed is defined as an invasive, non-native plant that threatens agricultural crops, local ecosystems or fish and wildlife habitat, according to the Noxious Weed Control Board. Washington state law requires that these weeds be identified and their spread kept to a minimum, if not completely eradicated. “We’re one of those agencies a lot of people don’t really understand,” Johnson said. “We’re a county office and … our funding is tax-based assessment. When you get your tax bill and you look down at all the expenses that you pay for, there we are.”
BASIN EVENTS: Oct. 16-24
COLUMBIA BASIN — Whether you feel like shopping, crafting, learning or seeing a show, there’s something happening for you this week in the Basin. Oct. 16 ‘My Family (Mi Familia)’ screening Spanning three generations, “My Family (Mi Familia)” is a heartfelt drama that follows the Sánchez family as they build their lives in East Los Angeles. Through love, hardship, triumph, and sacrifice, the film explores the immigrant experience, the strength of family bonds, and the traditions that connect one generation to the next. Lowrider show and taco truck before the screening. Sponsored by Columbia Basin Allied Arts, EDUBS C/S and the Moses Lake Creative District. $12 per person. Doors open at 6 p.m., film begins at 7 p.m. at the Moses Lake Civic Center Auditorium, 401 S. Balsam St. Tickets and info: www.cba-arts.org.
Moses Lake author encourages women to look beyond church culture norms
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