Washington State’s Democrat Attorney General Bob Ferguson has posted a message on “X” (formerly Twitter) declaring he is “Proud to receive the endorsement of Everytown for Gun Safety.”
Ferguson, who has been the state’s attorney general for nearly 12 years, goes on to say, “I’m the only candidate endorsed by organizations for gun safety — that’s because I’ll enforce our laws, including background checks.”
Proud to receive the endorsement of Everytown for Gun Safety.
I’m the only candidate endorsed by organizations for gun safety — that’s because I’ll enforce our laws, including background checks.
Dave Reichert voted repeatedly with the gun lobby against background checks. pic.twitter.com/AVhDd4rkRL
— Bob Ferguson (@BobFergusonAG) October 14, 2024
He then criticizes his opponent, Republican Dave Reichert—former King County sheriff and seven-term member of Congress—for voting “repeatedly with the gun lobby against background checks.”
Reichert, best known as being sheriff when the notorious Green River Killer Gary Ridgway was finally arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned, was targeted in September by liberal Cascade PBS/Crosscut for carrying a concealed sidearm, which he is licensed to carry, to at least two news interviews.
Washington State Democrats go after Reichert on their website, declaring the former sheriff “refused to endorse stronger protections…to keep assault weapons out of dangerous hands.”
Instead, Reichert made the argument, “I think that if someone is intent on hurting or killing someone, they will find a way to do it no matter what weapon they use.”
But for Ferguson to argue he will enforce the state gun laws belies his track record when it came to enforcing the state’s long-standing preemption statute, adopted in 1985, which prohibits counties and cities from creating their own gun control laws. In 2018, the cities of Seattle and Edmonds adopted nearly identical restrictions on gun owners which mandated so-called “safe storage.” These ordinances were clearly in violation of the preemption act, which reads:
“The state of Washington hereby fully occupies and preempts the entire field of firearms regulation within the boundaries of the state, including the registration, licensing, possession, purchase, sale, acquisition, transfer, discharge, and transportation of firearms, or any other element relating to firearms or parts thereof, including ammunition and reloader components. Cities, towns, and counties or other municipalities may enact only those laws and ordinances relating to firearms that are specifically authorized by state law, as in RCW 9.41.300, and are consistent with this chapter. Such local ordinances shall have the same penalty as provided for by state law. Local laws and ordinances that are inconsistent with, more restrictive than, or exceed the requirements of state law shall not be enacted and are preempted and repealed, regardless of the nature of the code, charter, or home rule status of such city, town, county, or municipality.”
Instead of stepping in, Ferguson’s office stood by while the Second Amendment Foundation, National Rifle Association and private citizens filed civil lawsuits against both cities. The action against Edmonds made its way through the courts first, with the State Court of Appeals ruled unanimously against the city. The case was appealed to the state Supreme Court, which unanimously upheld the appeals court ruling and against the City of Edmonds.
There was silence from the gun prohibition lobby, and Ferguson.
Reichert’s Votes
Without going into detail, Ferguson criticized Reichert’s alleged pro-gun votes, and the Washington Democrats’ website declares, “Gun violence prevention research helps lawmakers and public servants do their jobs more effectively and keep communities safe. Reichert voted seven times to block this research (See Reichert’s votes here, here, here, here, here, here, and here).
TGM clicked on each of these links. Here’s what we discovered:
The first link refers to votes on this measure: “Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3043) Hydropower Policy Modernization Act and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3441) Save Local Business Act”
The next link shows votes on this issue: “Providing for consideration of the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 71) establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027.”
The third link takes readers to this issue: “Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3442) Debt Management and Fiscal Responsibility Act, and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3293) Scientific Research in the National Interest Act.”
Link No. 4 goes to this issue: Scientific Research in the National Interest Act*
(* A published report on this measure quoted Texas Congressman Lamar Smith’s criticism of some of the research Congress was being asked to fund, including “$700,000 for a climate change-themed musical, $487,000 to study the Icelandic textile industry during the Viking era, and $220,000 to study animal photos in National Geographic magazine. …
“When the NSF funds such projects as these, there is less money to support worthwhile scientific research that keeps our country on the forefront of innovation,” Smith observed.)
The next link refers to this: “Providing for consideration of H.R. 1675, the Encouraging Employee Ownership Act of 2015, and providing for consideration of H.R. 766, the Financial Institution Customer Protection Act of 2015.”
Link No. 6 tells readers who have gone this far to follow these votes: “Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3700) to provide housing opportunities in the United States through modernization of various housing programs, and for other purposes.”
And then there is the last link, which refers to: “Providing for consideration of H.R. 2017, the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2015; and providing for proceedings during the period from February 15, 2016, through February 22, 2016.”
Any reference to background checks in any of these measures appears to have been obscure, at best. They dealt with spending public funds on various projects and programs.
Meanwhile, the state Department of Health reported on the growing opioid crisis, noting, “Since 2019 the annual number of opioid drug overdose deaths has nearly doubled, from 827 deaths in 2019 to 1619 in 2021.”
The federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reported, “In 2023, the DEA removed 4.8 million lethal doses of fentanyl in Washington state. Due to the availability and increased lethality of fentanyl, in King County, in 2023, more than 1,067 people died from fentanyl poisonings and overdoses. That is a 47 percent increase from 2022 when 714 people died.”
And Axios reported last November, “Washington state’s violent crime rate is no longer far below the national rate, as it was for most of the past four decades, according to the latest FBI data.”
According to the Axios report, this is why the rising crime rate matters: “Washington’s violent crime rate was roughly 1% below the U.S. rate in 2022, per the FBI. That’s a big shift from 2012, when the state’s rate was about 23% below the U.S. rate, and 1985, when it was about 24% below.”
The story noted how Steve Strachan, executive director at the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs revealed “there were about 1.4 police officers per 1,000 people in Washington last year, compared to about 2.3 officers per 1,000 people nationally.”
While the Washington State Democrats declare in their headline attacking Reichert that he is “backed by the NRA,” TGM checked with the organization and found the NRA has apparently made no endorsement in the governor’s race, indicating that Reichert apparently did not respond to the NRA questionnaire.
However, the NRA gives Ferguson an “F” grade.
