Sen. Mona Das (D-Kent) this week announced that she is sponsoring Senate Bill 6686, a companion bill to Rep. Tana Senn’s (D-Mercer Island) House Bill 2925, to ban openly-carried firearms from the statehouse and Washington State’s Capitol grounds.

Under current law, Capitol visitors may openly carry guns anywhere on campus except for the House and Senate galleries and committee rooms.

“The state Capitol should be a safe and welcoming space to the public, and a place where the different school groups of young learners that visit every single day can come feel excited about civic engagement,” Das said. “A young woman visiting with one of these groups shared with me that seeing guns on campus terrified her because she had experienced violence in the past. I don’t want that for her, or anyone.”

“Allowing for open carry does not contribute to a safe, welcoming public atmosphere, and it does not contribute to a safe and welcoming workplace for people employed here.”

Senn added:

“A couple of weeks ago, about 200 people carrying long guns and tactical gear roamed the state Capitol, without a permit, blocking school groups and intimidating visitors and staff, alike. This was the last straw for me.”

Both legislators dropped their respective bills last week shortly before Friday’s policy cut-off, a deadline past which bills need to move out of their committee of origin if they’re going to continue to the floor.

Though neither bill is going to advance this session, both Das and Senn have expressed a commitment to continuing their work on this legislation next year.

Scott Schaefer

Founder/Publisher/Editor. Three-time National Emmy Award winning Writer (“Bill Nye the Science Guy”), Director, Producer, Journalist and more...

2 replies on “Das sponsors companion bill to prohibit openly carried guns on state Capitol campus”

  1. Ban openly-carried firearms from the statehouse and Washington State’s Capitol grounds?

    No, the people “have the right to keep an carry weapons in case of confrontation,” as stated by Supreme Court Justice Scalia in the Heller Case.

    Learn more at OpenCarry.org. And carry on!

  2. Every right, including that of well-regulated militiaman’s rights to carry muskets is subject to reasonable “time, manner, place” restrictions. This seems fine, and if the WA state militia has an issue w it, I’m sure their leadership will advance reasonable arguments.

Comments are closed.