U.S. District Court rejected gun lobby-supported lawsuit challenging two provisions of voter-approved Initiative 1639

SEATTLE, WA – Today, Judge Ronald B. Leighton of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington dismissed a gun lobby-backed lawsuit challenging two provisions included in Initiative 1639: raising the purchase age for semi-automatic assault rifles to 21 and prohibiting the sale of semi-automatic assault rifles to non-residents who are not subject to an enhanced background check process.

“We are glad that Judge Leighton upheld these commonsense provisions that are designed to keep our schools and communities safe from gun violence,” said Renée Hopkins, CEO of the Alliance for Gun Responsibility. “The gun lobby lost in the court of public opinion two years ago and this lawsuit was a last-ditch effort to block these lifesaving policies. We were always optimistic that Initiative 1639 would withstand these challenges as it has withstood the gun lobby’s previous legal attempts. We are grateful that the court made the right decision today.”

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