Supporters of I-594 will tell you that it is about background checks for gun sales. But the proposed law also criminalizes temporary “transfers,” such as when one friend offers to teach another how to safely handle a firearm at home. An exception was carved out specifically for such transfers at shooting ranges, but instruction is far easier when both of you are not wearing hearing protection and interrupted by loud noises every couple seconds.

This is just one of many examples of why I-594 is such an awful idea. It will criminalize perfectly reasonable behaviors of perfectly reasonable people.

Reasonable legislation for background checks would simply require them for sales. I-594 was deliberately written to include non-commercial transfers between private citizens. A few exceptions were made, but nobody could possibly enumerate all of the reasonable things that two people could do with a firearm that one of them owns, and the people who wrote I-594 hardly tried.

In the words of the Washington Council Of Police And Sheriffs (WACOPS), “the restrictive compliance measures for transfers and loans of guns will cause law-abiding citizens to unintentionally commit crimes and possibly be convicted of gross misdemeanors or class C felonies.”

Please vote “no” on I-594. The police don’t want this to become law, and neither should you.

Nate Waddoups, Redmond