County sheriffs resisting new gun law

Local county sheriffs are weighing in on Washington’s controversial Initiative-1639 which is related to guns and is being challenged in the courts.I-1639, which took effect on Jan. 1, raises the age limit for buying semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21. Beginning July 1, it requires purchasers to pass an enhanced background check, show proof of firearms training, and wait 10 days before getting the gun.The new law also makes gun owners guilty of “community endangerment” if their gun is not properly stored and is accessible by a child or by anyone who then uses the gun in a crime.Initiative 1639 passed in Washington state with 60 percent of the vote. Some sheriffs in the state have made statements refusing to enforce the law, asserting that it violates the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The National Rifle Association filed a lawsuit challenging the law. “I am instructing my deputies not to enforce Initiative 1639 in Grant County while the constitutional validity remains in argument at the federal courts level,” said Grant County Sheriff Tom Jones. “I swore an oath to defend our citizens and their constitutionally protected rights. I do not believe the popular vote overrules that. If the courts later rule the validity of this new law, at that time I will partner closely with our prosecutor’s office to ensure the best plan moving forward. Grant County has a very large voter base of citizens that are pro Second Amendment. They, we, have a right to have this challenge and appeals process play out before moving forward.”Sixty-eight percent of Grant County voters voted against the initiative. Lincoln County Sheriff Wade Magers also came out against the law. “Not only is 1639 unconstitutional there is NOTHING for law enforcement to enforce,” Magers said on the sheriff’s office Facebook page. “The

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