WA Senate Approves Ban On High-Capacity Magazine Sales

OLYMPIA, WA — Legislation that would ban the sale of gun magazines with a capacity for more than 10 rounds in Washington passed the state Senate late Wednesday, with senators voting 28-20 to advance the bill to the House for final approvals.

While Senate Bill 5078 does not bar gun owners from possessing high-capacity magazines, it would prohibit sales, attempted sales and distribution within the state. Should the legislation garner approval in the House and Gov. Jay Inslee's signature, Washington would become the 10th state to place restrictions on high-capacity magazine sales.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson has formally requested such legislation in each session since 2017 and most recently cited a trio of studies that concluded similar bans were effective in reducing deadly mass shootings.

Ferguson celebrated the Senate's passage of the bill in a statement shared Wednesday night.

"The Legislature put public safety above the interest of the gun lobby," he said. "This historic vote represents an important step toward combating mass shootings. The devastation of mass shootings traumatizes entire communities. The research is clear — bans on the sale of high-capacity magazines save lives. It's time for the House of Representatives to act, and this public safety bill to the governor."

Ferguson's office noted high-capacity magazines were used in at least two mass shootings in Washington over the last several years, including the Cascade Mall shooting that left five dead and a Mukilteo shooting that left three young adults dead. Sen. Marko Liias (D-Lynnwood), whose district includes Mukilteo, was the primary sponsor of the Senate's bill.

"My community lost three beautiful souls to a mass shooter nearly six years ago," Liias said. "These tragedies are all too common in America, but they can be prevented through reasonable gun safety legislation. The only use for large-capacity magazines is to inflict the maximum amount of injury in the shortest amount of time, which makes them a favored tool for mass shooters. These are weapons of war and they do not belong in our communities."

The Attorney General's Office said a nationwide analysis found nearly 60 percent of mass shootings between 2009 and 2017 involved high capacity magazines, and such incidents were associated with twice as many deaths and 1,400 percent more injuries. Ferguson said he was confident the legislation would stand up to legal scrutiny, pointing to all similar laws being upheld by federal courts, including a ruling late last year that kept California's ban intact.

The House version of the bill received a first reading early in the session and was referred to the Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee. This year's legislative session is scheduled to conclude on March 10.