information from King County Council

King County Council Chair Joe McDermott and Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles are sending a five-piece package of gun safety legislation to both the King County Council and King County Board of Health.

The legislation is headlined by a secure storage law as well as a Board of Health regulation requiring point-of-sale warning signage about the dangers of gun ownership at the entrances and purchase counters of any stores selling guns and firing ranges in King County. Another measure mandates the destruction of all weapons forfeited to the Sheriff’s office.

The two final measures propose a wide-ranging gun safety task force and a study to identify youth-informed strategies to reduce the gun violence they experience.  

The measures were announced earlier today in Seattle at an event with gun safety advocates from across the region. Titled the King County Gun Safety Action Plan, the measures are just a first step in what will become a wide-ranging effort.

“Our state and national leaders continue to sit on their hands—it’s unconscionable,” said McDermott. “King County will do our part. We simply can’t wait.”

The action plan is designed as a first step in what should be a much larger county effort to reduce gun violence. To that end, McDermott and Kohl-Welles have also collaborated to launchwww.kingcountycantwait.com, a website where all residents can submit ideas for future consideration.

“As leaders we can no longer just issue statements of sorrow every time a mass shooting takes place,” said Kohl-Welles. “Sorrow and regrets won’t protect kids hiding under desks, concertgoers sprinting for cover, or police officers responding to a domestic violence call. We must take action now.”

“These proposals continue our public health approach to the public health crisis of gun violence,” said King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski, who also chairs the Seattle King County Board of Health. “It’s our job to prevent injury and save lives, and that’s what these initiatives will do.”

“March for Our Lives Seattle is proud to stand by our council members and pledge our full-fledged support of the proposed Gun Safety Action Plan,” said Emilia Allard, founder of March for Our Lives Seattle. “We hope this can serve as a guideline for surrounding counties and succeed in ending gun violence as the new norm.”

The plan also calls upon the state legislature to provide local governments with the authority to take further steps to reduce gun violence. The legislature previously enacted a preemptive ban on local jurisdictions from passing laws limiting the sale or possession of firearms, including potential bans on assault weapons.

Four of the measures now head to the King County Council for consideration. The warning signage legislation heads to the Board of Health, where McDermott is a voting member and Kohl-Welles is an alternate.