Initiative 1639, the comprehensive gun safety measure approved by nearly 60 percent of Washington voters in 2018, is under attack again. 

After losing in the court of public opinion, our gun lobby opponents have taken to the courts to try to block this lifesaving measure. They have already tried not once, not twice, but three times before to use lawsuits to undermine the will of Washington voters. 

In August, the gun lobby suffered a resounding defeat when a federal judge rejected a challenge to Initiative 1639. The judge’s ruling confirmed what we knew to be true all along: Initiative 1639 is constitutional. Period. 

But our extreme opponents just won’t quit. They have filed a new lawsuit in another desperate attempt to block these commonsense restrictions on semi-automatic assault rifles. The restrictions they’re attacking in the most recent lawsuit? Requiring safety training and a waiting period for purchasers of semi-automatic assault rifles. It doesn’t get more commonsense than that. 

It’s clear that our opponents’ legal strategy is to throw everything at the wall to see what sticks. They are counting on wearing us down, hoping that we will run out of energy—or funds—to defend responsible gun laws. 

We promise we will work tirelessly to protect our progress. But we need your help to make sure we can afford to keep this fight going. Please, give whatever you can today to help us protect I-1639 and keep our schools and communities safe.

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— Renee Hopkins is the CEO of the Alliance for Gun Responsibility