Skip to main content

Inslee, Ferguson Need Refresher Course on Constitution

Washington Governor and Attorney General continue to erode constitutionally protected rights and think the Second Amendment is subject to public opinion polls.

Inslee, Ferguson Need Refresher Course on Constitution

(CCRKBA logo and Filip Bjorkman photo / Shutterstock)

BELLEVUE, WA – Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson need a refresher course on the constitution; Inslee because he doesn’t know the difference between a regulated privilege and a constitutionally-protected fundamental right, and Ferguson, because he evidently believes Second Amendment rights are subject to public opinion polls, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today.

In his Monday demand for a new round of restrictive gun control measures, Inslee told the media, “You need to get a license to drive a car in the state of Washington. You need to get a license to go fishing. It’s time to get a license to make sure you have the safety training to purchase a gun in the state of Washington. And it’s high time we pass a bill to make sure you get a permit before you purchase a firearm.”

“Maybe Jay Inslee should head back to law school so he can get it right,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “Driving is a privilege. Recreational sport fishing is a privilege. But owning a firearm is a right protected by both the U.S. and Washington state constitutions. The notion citizens should need a license to exercise a right, and a permission slip from the police before they can exercise that right, is an abomination that clearly doesn’t pass the smell test.

“In his news release, Ferguson mentions two polls showing public support for a ban on semiautomatic rifles,” he added. “The attorney general should know that constitutionally-protected rights are not determined by the whims of opinion polls. Both the U.S. and Washington constitutions protect the right to bear arms. Neither says a thing about the type of arms, how they function or what they can, or cannot, look like.”

The Washington State Constitution’s Article 1, Section 24 states, “The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed body of men.

“Requiring a license and permit to purchase a firearm is clearly an impairment of the right to bear arms,” Gottlieb observed. “No other enumerated constitutional right is encumbered with a permit requirement. As Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in the Bruen decision earlier this year, ‘The constitutional right to bear arms…is not ‘a second-class right, subject to an entirely different body of rules than the other Bill of Rights guarantees’.” 

“Inslee and Ferguson are grand-standing,” he continued. “They’re not talking about sending criminals to prison. They’re talking about restricting the rights of law-abiding citizens to create the false impression something is being done about violent crime, when it really isn’t. The Legislature should soundly reject these proposals.”


With more than 650,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (www.ccrkba.org) is one of the nation's premier gun rights organizations. As a non-profit organization, the Citizens Committee is dedicated to preserving firearms freedoms through active lobbying of elected officials and facilitating grass-roots organization of gun rights activists in local communities throughout the United States.




GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Recommended Articles

Recent Videos

The Howa line of rifles from Legacy Sports is fairly diverse and available in a wide array of configurations, styles and...
Guns

Aero Precision M4E1 Pro Rifle

The Howa line of rifles from Legacy Sports is fairly diverse and available in a wide array of configurations, styles and...
Guns

Dr. Dabbs Goes Ape! A Video Review of the Gorilla M1 Carbine from the Original Planet of the Apes!

The Howa line of rifles from Legacy Sports is fairly diverse and available in a wide array of configurations, styles and...
Guns

Pioneer Arms .22 LR Trainer AK Rifle

The Howa line of rifles from Legacy Sports is fairly diverse and available in a wide array of configurations, styles and...
Guns

Pioneer Arms GROM 7.62x39 AK Rifle

The Howa line of rifles from Legacy Sports is fairly diverse and available in a wide array of configurations, styles and...
Gear

Federal's “Punch” line of Personal Protection Ammunition

The Howa line of rifles from Legacy Sports is fairly diverse and available in a wide array of configurations, styles and...
Guns

KelTec's new KSG410 and R50!

The Howa line of rifles from Legacy Sports is fairly diverse and available in a wide array of configurations, styles and...
Gear

Liberty Ammunition

The Howa line of rifles from Legacy Sports is fairly diverse and available in a wide array of configurations, styles and...
Guns

Springfield Armory 9mm Saint AR15

The Howa line of rifles from Legacy Sports is fairly diverse and available in a wide array of configurations, styles and...
Guns

Rock River Arms New ARs

The Howa line of rifles from Legacy Sports is fairly diverse and available in a wide array of configurations, styles and...
Guns

MKS 10mm Hi-Point Pistol

The Howa line of rifles from Legacy Sports is fairly diverse and available in a wide array of configurations, styles and...
Guns

Magpul FDP-9

The Howa line of rifles from Legacy Sports is fairly diverse and available in a wide array of configurations, styles and...
Guns

Legacy Sports New Howa Rifles

Firearms News Magazine Covers Print and Tablet Versions

GET THE MAGAZINE Subscribe & Save

Digital Now Included!

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Give a Gift   |   Subscriber Services

PREVIEW OUR CURRENT ISSUE

Buy Digital Single Issues

Magazine App Logo

Don't miss an issue.
Buy single digital issue for your phone or tablet.

Get the Firearms News App apple store google play store

Other Magazines

See All Other Magazines

Special Interest Magazines

See All Special Interest Magazines

GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Get the top Firearms News stories delivered right to your inbox.

Phone Icon

Get Digital Access.

All Firearms News subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets.

To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine.

Get Digital Access

Not a Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Enjoying What You're Reading?

Get a Full Year
of Guns & Ammo
& Digital Access.

Offer only for new subscribers.

Subscribe Now

Never Miss a Thing.

Get the Newsletter

Get the top Firearms News stories delivered right to your inbox.

By signing up, I acknowledge that my email address is valid, and have read and accept the Terms of Use