A bill that would strip Washington citizens of a unique self-defense protection is being fast-tracked by its sponsor, anti-gun State Rep. Ross Hunter (D-48th District), who unveiled the measure on Saturday and has it scheduled for a hearing before the House Ways & Means Committee – which he chairs – on Wednesday at 3 p.m. in Olympia.
Both the National Rifle Association and Bellevue-based Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms are furiously alerting their members. CCRKBA is issuing a press statement that calls the move “an outrage.” Both alerts have the names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of Ways & Means members.
“The Legislature is scratching for money anywhere they can find it, but in this case, Hunter is trying to balance the budget by jeopardizing the self-defense rights of law-abiding citizens. That’s unconscionable, and the fact that he is trying to ram this through at the 11th hour with very little public notice is outrageous.”—CCRKBA Legislative Director Joe Waldron
House Bill 2067 would repeal RCW 9A.16.110, which protects citizens from “legal jeopardy of any kind whatsoever for protecting by any reasonable means necessary, himself or herself, his or her family, or his or her real or personal property, or for coming to the aid of another who is in imminent danger of or the victim of assault, robbery, kidnapping, arson, burglary, rape, murder, or any other violent crime…”
Current law provides for reimbursement by the state of all reasonable costs, including loss of time, legal fees incurred, and other expenses involved in his or her defense.”
The statute has been in place for more than 30 years. Gun rights advocates insist there is no reason to repeal it, especially if the reason offered is to remove the state from financial liability.
“It is traumatic enough that a citizen must forcefully defend himself or herself, their family or some other person who is being attacked. For that citizen to be subjected to a legal nightmare that could wipe them out financially is a moral insult. Our existing law protects citizens from this kind of legal abuse.”—Joe Waldron
But the real issue here is best defined in the NRA’s member alert, which noted, “The repeal of HB 2067 would remove an important check and balance in Washington’s legal system.” The NRA contends that the law can discourage overzealous prosecution by forcing prosecutors to think hard before filing charges in a case where there is clearly a viable claim of self-defense.
This statute provides a strong legal protection to citizens in much the same way that another self-defense statute provided legal protection from prosecution for former Seattle police officer Ian Birk. He escaped prosecution in the shooting death of woodcarver John T. Williams, which this column discussed here.
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