WA high court upholds high-capacity ammo magazine sales ban
The ban on sales of large capacity gun magazines will continue in Washington, after the state supreme court upheld the law.
In 2022, lawmakers banned the sale and purchase of gun magazines that hold more than 10 bullets, in an effort to curb deadly shootings.
After a store in southwest Washington defied the law and ended up in court, a Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge declared the law unconstitutional and in violation of the Second Amendment.
But in a 7-2 ruling, the State Supreme Court has now upheld the law's constitutionality. The majority wrote that magazines do not qualify as "arms," and therefore they aren't covered by the Second Amendment.
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown’s office defended the ban before the state supreme court. He said courts have upheld similar bans around the country.
"That’s why we felt so confident that what the legislature passed would be upheld as constitutional, and we were correct, which is great," he said.
Attorney Pete Serrano represented Gator’s Custom Guns, which challenged the state law.
"We do believe that these large capacity magazines are integral to the operation of the firearm and thus should be protected as a firearm," he said.
Still, Serrano said he was glad that two justices embraced this argument in their dissent. He says the gun store is considering a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court in the case.
Experts say more than a dozen states have similar laws and every legal challenge to restricting high-capacity magazines has fallen short.
Reduced parking minimums, eased permitting requirements and other housing reforms signed in WA
A host of housing reforms are coming to Washington state.
Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a raft of bills related to the issue at a ceremony earlier this week.
The bills range from reducing obstacles to construction and increasing homeownership opportunities to easing the redevelopment process and relieving property taxes for some Washingtonians.
"You know, when I gave my inaugural address, I said the following. I said, 'The biggest concern I heard was affordability,'" Ferguson said during the signing ceremony Wednesday. "Washingtonians need more housing. Lots more housing. We must make it easier, faster and less expensive to build housing of all kinds and this group of bills does precisely that."
One of the other bills signed by Ferguson lowers the minimum number of parking spaces required for housing construction.
Under the new law, cities and counties can no longer require more than one parking space per two residential units or more than one spot per thousand square feet of commercial space.
Developers can still build more parking if they so choose.
The Spokane city council voted to get rid of all mandatory parking minimums at the end of January.
Another newly signed law was sponsored by first-term Rep. Natasha Hill (D-Spokane).
The bill aims to reduce the costs of building affordable condos by having the state insurance commissioner’s office study the high premiums nonprofits have to pay for condo liability insurance.
Charges filed against 21 in Spokane for drug, weapons offenses
The U.S. Attorney’s office in Spokane has indicted 21 people it believes were involved in a variety of drug- and weapons-related crimes in Spokane and other parts of eastern Washington.
Acting U.S. Attorney Richard Barker says an investigation led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives found evidence of an active drug peddling operation along Division Street in downtown Spokane.
"That’s been an area that there’s been a lot of focus from the city of Spokane, as well as from federal law enforcement to try to take and address those open-air drug markets and to ensure that folks that are in that area near the House of Charity, that they have a safe environment to live and work in," he said.
The U.S. Attorney’s office announced 15 separate indictments yesterday and filed dozens of charges.
Most of the 21 facing charges are in custody, Barker said.
He told SPR News his office will seek to seize control of an apartment complex near North Central High School where drugs have been sold and ingested.
He said first responders have answered nearly 60 calls for medical and police service there during the last two-and-a-half years.
Sen. Murray 'going to keep pushing back' on federal cuts to wildfire preparedness
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) is sounding the alarm about how cutbacks from the Trump administration are undermining wildfire preparedness and response in the Pacific Northwest.
She was joined by Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley in a press call Thursday.
They noted that cuts to the U.S. Forest Service are putting communities at risk.
Murray said over 500 Forest Service employees have already been pushed out the door here—most of whom had “boots-on-the-ground” types of jobs.
"Trump is taking a match to the front line of defense for our force and our communities," she said during the call. "So we are here today to pull the fire alarm, and we're going to set off some sirens. We're going to keep focused on this, and we're going to keep pushing back.”
It’s also still unclear how the federal hiring freeze announced in January has affected seasonal hiring of U.S. Forest Service firefighters.
The lack of information isn’t helping state fire officials in Washington as they face likely cuts to funding for wildfire preparedness.
Sen. Murray said speaking out can make a difference.
She said this administration has reinstated some programs in response to pressure from public outcry.
REI Co-op members reject company board picks after union campaign
REI Board of Director elections are typically quiet, but this year’s were anything but.
In an act of protest, members of the co-op voted to reject all three of the candidates put forward by the board.
After the results were announced Thursday, newly-appointed REI CEO Mary Beth Laughton said the company will have to work to regain trust.
"Coming into this role, that’s a clear sign to me that we have a big opportunity to actively seek out and listen to what our members and employees are telling us."
A union group representing many employees urged members to vote against REI’s uncontested slate of candidates after the board blocked two union-backed candidates from appearing on the ballot.
Members were also protesting the company’s endorsement of Trump’s interior secretary, which it rescinded in April.
Workers at eleven REI stores nationwide have unionized since 2022, but they have yet to secure a contract.
In a statement, the REI union said the election results show that REI needs to return to its cooperative roots and negotiate in good faith.
The existing board will now have to appoint people to fill the three vacancies.
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Reporting by Amy Radil, Owen Henderson, Doug Nadvornick, Bellamy Pailthorp and Nate Sanford.