The Seattle Weekly writes on the importance of measures like Initiative 1491:

The initiative comes two years after Washington voters approved another gun control measure, Initiative 594, which requires universal background checks on gun purchases. Both initiatives are the work of the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility, a group composed of a triad of two nonprofits and a Political Action Committee.

As some analysts see it, activists in Washington are increasingly getting around the potent gun lobby by bypassing legislative action and turning to voters and ballot measures instead. Cliff Schecter in The Daily Beast suggests that this approach could be a model for other states in a nation where getting a handle on gun control continues to be an elusive goal. “What the Alliance for Gun Responsibility and its allies are doing is nothing short of trailblazing the path that can free America from the hostage takers of bought-off legislatures and gun nuts with grudges,” he writes.

I-1491 has earned a long list of endorsements. So far it’s raised over $3 million dollars, with significant contributions coming from tech leaders like Steve Ballmer and Paul Allen. This is a good deal less than the more than $11 million that helped push through I-594. But it’s far more than any opposition campaign has raised – namely because the opposition is completely broke.

Read the full story here.