In regards to the Seattle Times’ Feb. 18 article “Guns, taxes on voters’ minds as Washington state lawmakers hold Eastside town hall.”
Feb. 14 was “one of the worst days” state Rep. Tana Senn has experienced in the Legislature, she told constituents in a Bellevue public-school gymnasium Feb. 17 as lawmakers heard from voters at town hall meetings across the Puget Sound region.
“There was the shooting in Florida,” said Senn, D-Mercer Island, referring to the killing of 17 people by a 19-year-old at his former high school. “And at the same time, common-sense gun legislation died in our House of Representatives.”
Reps. Judy Clibborn and Senn participated in this highly charged town Hall in Bellevue.
These politicians could not wriggle out of this one. With political rhetoric and lame excuses for missing the boat on gun control, a state $1.8 million surplus “surprise” and, adding fuel to this fire storm, obscene hikes in property taxes, these Democrats control the House Senate. There should be no excuse whatsoever for the gross incompetence.
All automatic weapons should be banned from public sale on a national scale; if these Democratic politicians were doing their jobs this should be a no-brainer. Or at the very least change the unbelievably stupid law that allows teenagers access to these combat weapons with no background checks or waiting period.
The law should read: No one under the age of 21 can buy or obtain by any means an AR-15. For the purchase of this weapon 60 day waiting period the background check should include all school records, driving records, medical records and police records (if any).
Any further delays on this critical legislation will ensure that there will be blood of the hands of every member of the Washington state Legislature, and if there is a tragedy in our state every politician who delayed on this vital legislation should have to visit the graves or each person killed once a year.
Take heed Judy! Take heed Tana! Take action Judy! Take action Tana!
David R. Evans
Former Island resident
