Lawmakers Debate Open Carry Ban At Protests And Capitol: Report

OLYMPIA, WA — During the 2021 legislative session, Washington lawmakers will be debating a ban on the open carry of firearms at protests and in the state capitol.

As the Tacoma News Tribune first reported, Sens. Patty Kuderer and Mona Das have prefiled Senate Bill 5038, which would outlaw open carry at all demonstrations anywhere in Washington, and on capitol grounds. In addition to banning firearms, the open carry restriction would apply to explosives, clubs, metal knuckles, knives or similar weapons. It also bars open carry at jails, law enforcement facilities and courtrooms.

The bill does not apply to those who conceal carry their weapons, as long as they have active permits.

In a call with reporters, Kuderer argued that openly carrying a weapon during a demonstration is not a matter of self-protection, but an attempt to intimidate others.

The ban on firearms at the capitol seems especially prescient, considering recent events. In mid-December, two opposing demonstrations collided in Olympia, sparking several violent clashes that climaxed with one protester shooting another. Police say both groups were heavily armed with rifles, handguns and clubs.

Even more recently, a right-wing militia announced its intention to storm and occupy Washington's capitol. Organizers of that protest say it is in response to the state's plans to hold the legislative session remotely, which they claim is unconstitutional. Law enforcement say they are aware of the militia's plans and monitoring the situation.

Related: Washington's 2021 Legislative Agenda Includes New Police Measures

But as The News Tribune reports, Kuderer says the bill is not a reaction to those protests, but to violence at demonstrations across the county, which she says has been escalating over the past few years. She claims she had been working on the proposal before the latest round of protests, and before legislators had announced that they would be working remotely.

If the bill passes as is, any violators caught openly carrying weapons at a demonstration or outside the capitol could be charged with a gross misdemeanor. In Washington, gross misdemeanors are punishable with up to a year in prison and/or a fine of up to $5,000.

Read more from the Tacoma News Tribune.