Other LanguagesOLYMPIA — Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson today filed a motion asking a federal court in Tacoma to dismiss Northwest School of Safety v. Ferguson, a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Initiative 594.
Approved by Washington voters 59% to 41% in November 2014, I-594 expands the range of gun sales and transfers subject to background checks in Washington.
“As Attorney General, it is my job to defend the laws of the state and uphold the will of the voters,” said Ferguson. “Voters overwhelmingly approved I-594, and my office will defend it vigorously. We are asking the court to dismiss this matter because the plaintiffs’ claims are entirely speculative.
“No one has yet been prosecuted for violating I-594, and none of the plaintiffs has been threatened with prosecution. Simply put, the plaintiffs have not shown that I-594 actually harmed them, so they lack standing to bring this case.”
A copy of the motion can be found here.
The court is expected to rule on the motion after briefing is completed in late March.
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The Office of the Attorney General is the chief legal office for the state of Washington with attorneys and staff in 27 divisions across the state providing legal services to roughly 200 state agencies, boards and commissions. Attorney General Bob Ferguson is working hard to protect consumers and seniors against fraud, keep our communities safe, protect our environment and stand up for our veterans. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.
Contacts:
Peter Lavallee, Communications Director, (360) 586-0725; PeterL@atg.wa.gov