Gun owners, gun dealers, and kids: Those are the groups King County lawmakers are trying to reach with a package of gun safety measures announced today.
"We have a public health crisis on our hands, and so we need a multifaceted approach to it," said King County Council Chair Joe McDermott, who proposed five gun safety bills for unincorporated King County.
Among the proposals are requirements that firearms be locked up when not in use, a study on the gun violence experienced by youth, and a requirement that gun dealers post warning signs about the health risks.
The signage rule would apply to all storefront and purchase counters where firearms are sold. McDermott said they would each have the same wording:
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"Warning: The presence of a firearm in the home significantly increases the risk of suicide, homicide, death during domestic violence disputes, and unintentional deaths to children, household members and others."
McDermott’s proposals come just weeks after Seattle passed a safe-storage firearm law. That law is now the subject of a lawsuit by the NRA and the Second Amendment Foundation. McDermott contends, however, that the firearm measures would hold up in court.
"There is nothing more responsible about gun ownership than keeping it safe and secure, so that they are suing over safe storage is disingenuous at best, and fully legally defensible," he said.
The proposals are subject to approval by the King County Council and Board of Health.
