Attorney General Fires Back at Rural Sheriffs That Are Vowing Not to Enforce Gun Control Laws - Slog

Some cops don't want to enforce new gun control laws on assault rifles. George Frey/ Getty ImagesWashington Attorney General Bob Ferguson fired a warning shot Tuesday at a group of rural sheriffs that are refusing to enforce the state’s new gun control laws, telling the law enforcement leaders that they “could be held liable” if a gun gets wrongly sold to someone because of their actions. Sponsored Beck, Cage The Elephant, & Spoon are coming to The Gorge on July 13! Tix on sale Friday [1] “In short, the taxpayers of your city or county assume the financial risk of your decision to impose your personal views over the law,” Ferguson said in a letter[2] released Tuesday. Washington’s rural law enforcement leaders have been making headlines this month as a growing group of sheriffs and police chiefs pledge not to enforce the state’s new gun laws, which are being implemented after voters overwhelmingly approved Initiative 1639 last year. The new state laws include expanded background checks and an increase in the minimum age for purchasing a semiautomatic rifle from 18 to 21. The Seattle Times[3] added up 13 such county sheriffs that have said they wont enforce these new state laws. So far, the sheriffs have not actually given any specifics as to what regulations they won't enforce and there's no evidence that these gun-loving sheriffs have actually done anything yet. That may be because the only new regulation that has taken effect is increasing the minimum age for purchasing a semi-automatic gun from 18 to 21, according to Tallman Trask, a spokesperson for the Alliance for Gun Responsibility which supported Initiative 1639. “I‘m not entirely sure what they think they would be enforcing,” Trask said. “The only thing in effect is the increased age limits. I’m not sure

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