I-1639 was approved and promises to raise the legal age to buy semi-automatic rifles to 21 and to start enforcing stronger background checks. It also makes people who own firearms partially responsible if someone steals their gun without permission and does harm.

This will promote firearm owners to put their guns in safer facilities so that no one else can get to them. But many opposed to the initiative disagree with this and believe that if the firearm gets into the wrong hands there should be no blame placed on the gun owner’s hands.

According to the Seattle Times, “The community-endangerment charges also don’t apply if a prohibited person obtains a gun due to unlawful entry, as long as the gun owner reports the incident within five days of the time he or she knew or should have known it occurred.”

I-940 was passed in throughout Washington State. The legislation requires first aid to be immediately called for by the police officers. It also enforces officers to attend mental health trainings, de-escalation and requires a test to be created to help determine whether the use of deadly force was required in a situation or not.

It makes it easier for a police officer to be charged for using deadly force. This has caused much uproar on the opposing side. While the side for the initiative believes it “balances” out the scale. The police officers will have more training; thus, when using deadly force they will be expected to make wiser decisions.  

Most police officers have not been in support of this initiative, according to King 5, “Critics say it will lead to officers second-guessing themselves in split-second situations and could cost lives. That is why the de-escalation part of the soon to be approved law is critical.”