Despite overwhelming support by the public, expanded background checks for gun purchases went down during their first vote in the U.S. Senate. The proposal has also been defeated in a number of state legislatures. Most blame the power of the gun lobby, represented by the National Rifle Association.
A group of activists in Washington state — where the proposal died in the legislature — plans to bypass lawmakers altogether by putting the proposal on the ballot. TheAi??Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility will today launch a drive to get 300,000 signatures to place universal background checks for gun purchases on the ballot in November 2014. Watch a local news report on the ballot drive:
As we’ve argued before, putting popular, progressive policies on state ballots — like a hike in the minimum wage — not only provides an alternative route for passing these initiatives but also serves to boost progressive voter turnout.
Washington State Activists Launch Push For Universal Background Check Ballot Initiative | Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC)