Washington: NRA & SAF Lawsuit Against City of Edmonds Moves Forward

[Charlie T Waite]

On March 20^th, the Washington Superior Court rejected the defendant’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by the NRA and Second Amendment Foundation against the City of Edmonds to invalidate the mandatory firearm storage ordinance passed by the City Council.  The lawsuit can now proceed.

Washington's state firearm preemption statute was passed in 1983 to keep firearm and ammunition laws consistent throughout the state by establishing that the State Legislature has sole authority to regulate and create laws pertaining to firearms and ammunition.  These statutes help prevent a confusing patchwork of gun control laws which make it difficult for gun owners to ensure that they are following the law.  Further, Second Amendment rights are guaranteed to all citizens, regardless of where they reside.  State preemption statutes help protect against the infringement of citizens who live in localities controlled by anti-gun elected officials.  The City of Edmonds’ ordinance is exactly the type of legislation against which the state preemption statute was designed to protect against.

As passed, this ordinance restricts the self-defense rights of Edmonds residents by making it illegal for them to keep firearms in a private residence unless the firearms are kept in a "locked container," with a potential fine of up to $10,000 for non-compliant storage.  As previously reported, the NRA and the Second Amendment Foundation filed a lawsuit against the City of Edmonds on August 7^th, 2018 to invalidate the mandatory firearm storage ordinance that was passed in clear violation of Washington's state preemption statute.

Please stay tuned to www.nraila.org and your email inbox for further updates on this issue and others affecting our Second Amendment rights in Washington.