Retarded Politicians of the Week

Four members of the Washington State Senate have so distinguished themselves with mental incapacity that the honor of Retarded Politician of the Week must be shared amongst them.

The winners are:

Senator Darlene Fairley, D-32
Senator Adam Kline, D-37
Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-36
Senator Joe McDermott, D-34

The four mental incompetents have introduced a Senate bill, SB 6396, which seeks to ban a class of firearms, the dreaded and misnamed "assault weapons" based upon their appearance and ability to hold more than ten rounds of ammunition. Aside from violating Washington citizens' Second Amendment rights, the bill proposes violating the Fourth Amendment rights of current owners of "assault weapons" by requiring said owners to submit to searches by the Sheriff. Also notable is the exception from the law granted to law enforcement and government employees.

The following are the proposed changes to RCW 9.41.010:

(20) "Assault weapon" means:
(a) Any semiautomatic pistol or semiautomatic or pump-action rifle or shotgun that is capable of accepting a detachable magazine, with a capacity to accept more then ten rounds of ammunition and that also possesses any of the following:
(i) If the firearm is a rifle or shotgun, a pistol grip located rear of the trigger;
(ii) If the firearm is a rifle or shotgun, a stock in any configuration, including but not limited to a thumbhole stock, a folding stock or a telescoping stock, that allows the bearer of the firearm to grasp the firearm with the trigger hand such that the web of the trigger hand, between the thumb and forefinger, can be placed below the top of the external portion of the trigger during firing;
(iii) If the firearm is a pistol, a shoulder stock of any type or configuration, including but not limited to a folding stock or a telescoping stock;
(iv) A barrel shroud;
(v) A muzzle brake or muzzle compensator;
(vi) Any feature capable of functioning as a protruding grip that can be held by the hand that is not the trigger hand;
(b) Any pistol that is capable of accepting a detachable magazine at any location outside of the pistol grip;
(c) Any semiautomatic pistol, any semiautomatic, center-fire rifle, or any shotgun with a fixed magazine that has the capacity to accept more than ten rounds of ammunition;
(d) Any shotgun capable of accepting a detachable magazine;
(e) Any shotgun with a revolving cylinder;
(f) Any conversion kit or other combination of parts from which an assault weapon can be assembled if the parts are in the possession or under the control of any person.
(21) "Detachable magazine" means a magazine, the function of which is to deliver one or more ammunition cartridges into the firing chamber, which can be removed from the firearm without the use of any tool, including a bullet or ammunition cartridge.
(22) "Barrel shroud" means a covering, other than a slide, that is attached to, or that substantially or completely encircles, the barrel of a firearm and that allows the bearer of the firearm to hold the barrel with the nonshooting hand while firing the firearm, without burning that hand, except that the term does not include an extension of the stock along the bottom of the barrel that does not substantially or completely encircle the barrel.
(23) "Muzzle brake" means a device attached to the muzzle of a weapon that utilizes escaping gas to reduce recoil.
(24) "Muzzle compensator" means a device attached to the muzzle of a weapon that utilizes escaping gas to control muzzle movement.
(25) "Conversion kit" means any part or combination of parts designed and intended for use in converting a firearm into an assault weapon.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 9.41 RCW to read as follows:
(1) No person in this state shall manufacture, possess, purchase, sell, or otherwise transfer any assault weapon, or any assault weapon conversion kit, except as authorized by subsection (3) of this section.
Any assault weapon or assault weapon conversion kit the manufacture, possession, purchase, sale, or other transfer of which is prohibited under this section is a public nuisance.
(2) No person in this state shall possess or have under his or her control at one time both of the following:
(a) A semiautomatic or pump-action rifle, semiautomatic pistol, or shotgun capable of accepting a detachable magazine; and
(b) Any magazine capable of use with that firearm that contains more than ten rounds of ammunition.
(3) Subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to any of the following:
(a) The possession of an unloaded assault weapon for the purpose of permanently relinquishing it to a law enforcement agency in this state.
Any assault weapon relinquished pursuant to this subsection shall be destroyed;
(b) The transfer of any assault weapon by a licensed manufacturer or dealer to a law enforcement agency in this state for use by that agency or its employees for law enforcement purposes;
(c) The possession of an assault weapon that was legally possessed on the effective date of this section, but only if the person legally possessing the assault weapon has complied with all of the requirements of subsection (5) of this section;
(d) The possession of an assault weapon that has been permanently disabled so that it is incapable of discharging a projectile.
(4) Subsection (2) of this section shall not apply to any person:
(a) While lawfully engaged in shooting at a duly licensed, lawfully operated shooting range;
(b) While lawfully participating in a sporting event officially sanctioned by a club or organization established in whole or in part for the purpose of sponsoring sport shooting events.
(5) In order to continue to possess an assault weapon that was legally possessed on the effective date of this section, the person possessing the assault weapon shall do all of the following:
(a) Safely and securely store the assault weapon. The sheriff of the county may, no more than once per year, conduct an inspection to ensure compliance with this subsection;
(b) Possess the assault weapon only on property owned or immediately controlled by the person, or while engaged in the legal use of the assault weapon at a duly licensed firing range, or while traveling to or from either of these locations for the purpose of engaging in the legal use of the assault weapon, provided that the
assault weapon is stored unloaded and in a separate locked container during transport.
(6) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, any person in this state who, after the effective date of this section, acquires title to an assault weapon by inheritance, bequest, or succession, shall, within thirty days of acquiring title, do one of the following:
(a) Comply with all of the requirements of subsection (5) of this section;
(b) Dispose of the assault weapon pursuant to subsection (3)(a) of this section; or
(c) Permanently disable the assault weapon so that it is incapable of discharging a projectile.
(7)(a) Any person convicted of violating subsection (1) or (2) of this section is guilty of a class C felony.
(b) Any person convicted of violating subsection (5) of this section is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
(8) This section does not apply to:
(a) Marshals, sheriffs, prison or jail wardens or their deputies, or other law enforcement officers of this or another state while acting within the scope of their duties;
(b) Members of the armed forces of the United States or of the national guard or organized services, when on duty;
(c) Officers or employees of the United States duly authorized to possess assault weapons; or
(d) Any person engaged in the business of manufacturing, repairing, or dealing in assault weapons, or the representative or agent of the person who is properly licensed under federal or state laws to do so and who is acting within the usual and ordinary course of the business.

So, my 9mm pistol that holds fifteen rounds would be a banned weapon subjecting me to warrantless inspections by the county sheriff, yet my 9mm pistol that holds ten rounds and has exactly the same operating principles is perfectly kosher?

My Ruger 10/22 with a twenty round magazine makes me a felon, yet with a ten round magazine it's all cool?

None of this matters if I'm a cop or the right kind of government employee? Didn't Heinrich Himmler propose the same kind of laws back in the good old days of totalitarian national socialism?

Senators Fairley, Kline, Kohl-Welles, and McDermott are a bunch of f*****g idiots and should be turned out of office at the very next opportunity, if they cannot be recalled sooner.

Until the next election or recall drive they are just the Retarded Politicians of the Week.

P.S. Washington residents: Write to your legislators. I just did, and I am going to post their replies alongside my letters to them on the door of my office.