A Step Forward in the Fight Against Gun Violence
Voters across the country are pushing back against the gun lobby’s agenda.
Lucy McBath, center, defeated an NRA-backed candidate.
Photographer: Mark Makela/Getty Images North AmericaEarlier this year, the National Rifle Association shut down access on its web site to the grades it has long awarded lawmakers. It seems the organization’s A grades, once a mark of electability, were becoming a liability for politicians. On Tuesday, advocates of sensible gun regulation demonstrated why.
In Washington state, voters easily passed a referendum that will raise to 21 the legal age to purchase semiautomatic rifles. Buyers will also have to pass an enhanced background check, take a training course and wait 10 days after paying to obtain the weapon. The initiative will also require gun owners to store their firearms securely or risk criminal penalties.