Senator Burdick Testifies to Washington State Legislature

Washington Senate Bill 5197, which would close the state’s gun show loophole, passes out of committee for the first time ever.

Ginny Burdick Photo courtesy: Oregon Legislature

(Salem) - Senator Ginny Burdick (D-Portland/Tigard) testified earlier this month in Olympia, Washington in the state’s Senate Committee on Labor, Commerce Research & Development. She was invited to testify on Senate Bill 5197, legislation that requires background checks to purchase a firearm at Washington gun shows. The bill passed out of committee today, sending it to the Senate floor for the first time in state history.

Senator Burdick was chief petitioner and champion of Oregon’s Ballot Measure 5 in 2000, requiring a criminal background check for firearm purchases at gun shows. The measure passed with 62% of the vote statewide.

“This bill is just common sense,” Senator Burdick said. “Neither I nor the Washington State Legislature is in the business of taking away the right to own firearms. It is strictly about crime prevention for me.”

In Washington State, non licensed gun show vendors are not required to administer a state background check, allowing felons and juveniles to purchase firearms. Oregon’s Ballot Measure 5, written by Senator Burdick, prevents felons from obtaining a firearm by requiring a criminal background check at gun shows.

However, because Washington does not have this law, there are concerns that criminals in Oregon may be traveling to Washington to purchase weapons; some just across the Columbia River in Vancouver. With the passage of this bill, it would become more difficult for criminals to bring firearms into Oregon, strengthening the overall public safety of both states.

Washington State Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Seattle), chair of the Labor, Commerce, Research & Development Committee and co-sponsor of Senate Bill 5197, expressed appreciation to Sen. Burdick for her efforts to pass this legislation.

“I commend Senator Burdick for the hard work she has done to close this loophole in Oregon and for sharing the lessons her state has learned, so that together we can make our region safer, ” said Kohl-Welles.