Background Check Bill Doesn't Have Votes in House [View all]

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State Rep. Jamie Pedersen (D-43, Capitol Hill) just held a glum press conference in Olympia where he conceded that he couldn't get to the magical 50 votes to pass a universal background check bill for gun sales. (Currently private gun sales, including at gun shows, don't require criminal background checks.)

Pedersen's last-minute move to attach a referendum clause to the bill (which would have automatically put the law to voters) gave the legislation a second chance after it looked dead last week. But tonight Pedersen told reporters that the referendum idea eventually turned off as many legislators as it attracted. Some of his Democratic caucus colleagues, he said, thought putting such a major issue to voters during an off-year election was risky. He also said some of his colleagues didn't like the precedent that punting the issue to the public would set for other tough votes legislators have to take this year.

A recent Elway Poll showed major support for a universal background check bill (79 percent in favor), but Pedersen said "gun rights supporters were more intense in their engagement with the legislature" and "created a sense of distrust and skepticism that those numbers were true."

http://www.seattlemet.com/news-and-profiles/publicola/articles/tuesday-jolt-background-check-bill-doesnt-have-votes-in-house-march-2013