Judge refuses state demand to strike gun-law challenge

A federal judge in Washington state has refused demands from state officials to throw out a lawsuit challenging new restrictions on guns that voters adopted. The Second Amendment Foundation and the National Rifle Association are both plaintiffs in the case, which is joined by two gun dealers and four young adults who claim their right to own weapons under the Second Amendment has been violated by the statute. Initiative 1639 has been described as a “hodgepodge of gun control schemes.” It requires that gun owners lock up their firearms or be considered criminals. It strips young adults of their Second Amendment rights, the plaintiffs contend. And it lets the government “collect and use gun owner information to enforce compliance and authorize gun confiscations.” The decision by U.S. District Judge Ronald Leighton means, according to SAF founder Alan Gottlieb, “the long delay is over.” “The important aspects of the motion to dismiss have been denied,” he said. “Just as important, the judge’s ruling treats the Second Amendment as any other fundamental individual right that is constitutionally protected.” The defendants, several state officials, had argued that the law-abiding gun owners and retailers did not have standing to sue because they were not in danger of being arrested or penalized. But the judge said the plaintiffs don’t need to violate the law and risk punishment to raise the challenge...MORE