Evergreen State gun owners and Second Amendment activists are expressing outrage on social media over an announcement from the state Department of Commerce the agency is “initiating” a “request for Qualifications and Quotes to solicit proposals” from people or groups to support an event called “Together We End Gun Violence” (TWEGV) scheduled in early June in Seattle.
According to a Commerce Department release, “The Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention (OFSVP) is soliciting bids to provide event planning, coordination, logistics, and reporting for the 2025 Together We End Gun Violence event. This event is slated for early June 2025.
“OFSVP intends to award one contract to provide the services described in this RFQQ. The award will be up to $100,000 for services provided from April 1, 2025 – June 30, 2025.”
The 26-page document can be found online here. In its announcement, the agency acknowledges, “This is State funding. Payments will be made on a reimbursement basis for deliverables accepted and/or allowable time and expenses.”
The National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action has also publicized the announcement, raising alarm among NRA members in Washington. According to the NRA/ILA bulletin, the request “oddly aims to attract 12-24 year olds and does not outline any criteria for actually addressing crime or crime prevention, just event planning and coordination.”
According to the Commerce Department’s announcement, “The TWEGV Planning Committee includes members from COMMERCE, the King County Regional Gun Violence Prevention Office, the Alliance for Gun Responsibility, and others.”
There are no details on who the “others” are, but there does not appear to have been any inclusion of gun rights organizations. Essentially, this is a state-funded gun control event.
In addition, the document says, “The 2025 TWEGV event will bring together community members, practitioners, experts and systems partners committed to reducing gun violence in Washington. The expected registration will be up to 350 attendees. Speakers will come from across the country as well as within the state.”
The Alliance is a Seattle-based, and billionaire-backed, gun prohibition lobbying group.
Virtual conferences will be held twice this week:
▪ Tuesday February 18, 2025 at 11:00 a.m., Pacific Time
▪ Thursday February 20, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time
“Fury” may not adequately describe the reaction from gun owners over this announcement. Although President Donald Trump quickly dissolved Joe Biden’s White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, that shadow bureaucracy did managed to convince some blue states to create their own such offices. Washington is one of those states.
Some participants in the Facebook discussion hinted at staging a protest, and one individual wondered about soliciting taxpayer funds for a pro-rights event.
