Lawmakers in the Washington Legislature are currently reviewing a new bill that seeks to address the increasing incidents of gun thefts across the state.
House Bill 1152 outlines new regulations for gun owners to store their firearms securely, either in a hard case or with the trigger locked in a soft case. In the event of a firearm theft, the owner could face a fine of $1,000. Additionally, if the stolen firearm is used in a violent crime by someone who is legally prohibited from owning a gun, the owner may face additional felony charges.
According to Andrew Lanier, producer of “The Gee and Ursula Show,” the regulations for storing firearms in vehicles are as follows: if you are carrying a pistol, it must be kept in a locked, opaque, hard-sided container that is fixed to the vehicle. The pistol must be unloaded and concealed, and the vehicle must be locked. On the other hand, if you are carrying a rifle or shotgun, it should be stored in a soft-sided case and have a trigger lock. Lanier also mentioned that failing to secure the firearm properly can result in a fine of up to $1,000, and if the gun is stolen, it is considered a misdemeanor.
“If someone who’s not allowed to own a gun, say, a felon or a minor, steals it and gets possession, it is a gross misdemeanor,” Lanier continued in his explanation of the proposed bill. “If someone not allowed to have a gun gets your gun and commits a crime with it, say, for example, someone holds up to 7-Eleven, now it becomes a felony if your stolen gun that was unsecured was used in a crime that hurts someone else. And I need to point out a Class C felony is up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. I don’t think you would get that much, but it would also mean that you’re a felon and no longer allowed to own a gun.”
The number of sponsors for HB 1152 is 34, while some critics have deemed it too extreme.
“If they’ve had property stolen from them, they’re the victim of a crime. They shouldn’t be charged for that purpose,” Jeremy Ball, owner of Sharp Shooting Indoor Range in Spokane, told KNDO. “It’s a lazy approach to solving a complicated problem.”
The Alliance for Gun Responsibility reports that Washington experiences an estimated 4,074 firearm thefts annually, as per data collected from 2017 to 2021. However, it is worth noting that this figure may be considerably higher, as many instances of stolen firearms often go unreported.
“I’m in favor,” Gee Scott, co-host of “The Gee and Ursula Show,” said. “I’d go out on a limb to say that most gun owners are responsible. However, we do have some irresponsible gun owners leaving guns in cars and leaving them unlocked around the house. All that stuff is leading to stolen guns and, oh, guess what? Some of these stolen guns are used in violent crimes. So, I am continuing to say that we’re going to have to do some drastic things to decrease our gun shootings and violent crime. And if we’re going to do that, this is a nice place to start. I’m for it.”
Last year, former Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed a bill into law, addressing the increasing concern of stolen firearms. The law mandates gun owners to promptly inform the police within 24 hours of discovering the theft or loss of their firearm.
“One of the arguments against this would be we are making them a criminal when they’re actually a victim of a crime,” Ursula Reutin, co-host of “The Gee and Ursula Show,” said. “But if you are going to have a gun, you have responsibilities that go with it.”
“I’ll make a deal,” Gee responded. “How about this? You can face a Class C felony, or you can settle by losing your gun license forever.”
In October, there was a news story that Lanier mentioned, involving car prowlers who stole numerous guns from around 50 parked cars at a Safeway distribution center in Renton. It was alarming to learn that a staggering 86% of all the guns stolen in Renton last year were taken from cars. Specifically, there were about 49 guns left unsecured in a car, and unfortunately, 39 of them were stolen during a car prowl.
According to Every Town Research, a gun is stolen from a car in the U.S. approximately every nine minutes.
“Do you believe that someone who leaves out their fentanyl and their toddler overdoses and dies should face punishment?” Lanier asked both Gee and Ursula. “Because what you are doing is the equivalent. You’re leaving out a lethal weapon that can be used over and over and over again in crimes. I’m fully for it. I know there are a lot of people on the text line who are going to be furious with me, but I think we need to have this conversation at the very least.”
The 2025 session of the Washington State Legislature was officially commenced on Monday.