Washington State Legislature Passes Ban on ‘Assault Weapons’ as Governor Signals Support

SEATTLE, WA - MARCH 16: Washington state Governor Jay Inslee, joined by King County Executive Dow Constantine and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan hold a press conference to provide details on a temporary statewide shutdown of restaurants, bars, and entertainment and recreational facilities to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak, on March 16, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. Inslee declared a state of emergency in response to new cases of COVID-19 earlier this month. Photo by Elaine Thompson - Pool/Getty Images

Lawmakers in Washington state have approved a ban on so-called assault weapons. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said he supports the legislation.

State senators passed the ban in a 27-21 vote on April 8, about a month after the state’s House of Representatives advanced the measure in a 55–42 vote.