“We are fed up. It is beyond time that we . . . passed common-sense legislation to prevent gun violence.”

A group of twenty-one members of the Washington State Senate and House of Representatives joined together today to issue the following statement in response to U.S. Senator Patty Murray’s call to action on gun violence prevention:

We applaud Senator Murray for taking a stand to fight the epidemic of gun violence in our country. As elected officials, we believe that it is our duty to do our utmost to protect the children, families, and communities of Washington State.

In 2014, 702 Washingtonians lost their lives to preventable gun violence. More than 30,000 Americans are killed every year, making us 10 times more likely to be killed by a gun than residents of any other developed country. These numbers, these deaths, are unacceptable.

In the aftermath of weeks of high-profile shootings around the country, and just a few days before the tenth anniversary of the shooting at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, we are fed up. It is beyond time that we as a nation and as a state addressed this epidemic and passed common-sense legislation to prevent gun violence.

This has been notoriously difficult in Olympia for years, but the tide is turning. In 2014, nearly 60% of Washington voters voted in favor of universal background checks on gun sales. This year, tens of thousands of people wrote letters and emails, made calls, and visited the Capitol to demand stronger gun laws. In November, voters will likely overwhelmingly vote to pass Initiative 1491, which gives families a tool to keep guns out of the most dangerous hands.

The voters of Washington demand action on common-sense gun laws. This is not a Republican issue or a Democratic issue. It is a public health crisis that demands immediate attention and action from leaders in both Houses and in both parties.

We pledge to act on common-sense gun laws when we return to Olympia in January. We urge voters to support common-sense gun laws like I-1491 and to support legislators taking a stand for safety and responsibility. Call, email, write, and come to Olympia to voice your opinion. We want to hear from you. Many of our colleagues desperately need to hear from you. Finally, we urge all of our colleagues to come together to address this crisis and pass common-sense gun laws in 2017.

Signed,

Senator David Frockt (46th LD)

Senator Pramila Jayapal (37th LD)

Senator Karen Fraser (22nd LD)

Senator Reuven Carlyle (36th LD)

Representative Steve Bergquist (11th LD)

Representative Eileen Cody (34th LD)

Representative Jessyn Farrell (46th LD)

Representative Noel Frame (36th LD)

Representative Sam Hunt (22nd LD)

Representative Laurie Jinkins (27th LD)

Representative Patty Kuderer (48th LD)

Representative Strom Peterson (21st LD)

Representative Gerry Pollet (46th LD)

Representative June Robinson (38th LD)

Representative Mike Sells (38th LD)

Representative Tana Senn (41st LD)

Representative Derek Stanford (1st LD)

Representative Gael Tarleton (36th LD)

Representative Brady Walkinshaw (43rd LD)

Representative Jim Moeller (49th LD)

Representative Lillian Ortiz-Self (21st LD)