BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation today is congratulating Washington lawmakers and others who worked hard to pass the Suicide Awareness and Prevention Education for Safer Homes Act, which was signed this morning by Gov. Jay Inslee and supported by SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb.
The legislation, sponsored and championed by Democrat State Rep. Tina Orwall, focuses on preventing suicide, not gun control. It sets up two subcommittees, including one that will be co-chaired by a SAF representative and include representation from the National Rifle Association and firearms industry.
“Having this bill signed into law was the result of a great deal of behind-the-scenes work, and I’m proud to have been personally involved in the process,” Gottlieb said. “This is and always has been about preventing tragedies, not infringing on anyone’s civil rights. Because this involves an important education effort, SAF was able to participate from the outset.”
Washington State has a higher suicide rate than the national average, and about half of those involve firearms. When Rep. Orwall and the University of Washington’s Dr. Jennifer Stuber reached out to the firearms community for important input, SAF was delighted to help. Gottlieb also thanks Republican State Sen. Joe Fain for sponsoring the companion bill in the Senate.
“The process that went into creating this legislation clearly demonstrates that the firearms community is not only approachable, but is willing to participate in any serious discussions about a problem that affects us all,” Gottlieb observed. “It is firearms groups and professionals that are the real gun safety experts, so it is only proper and prudent for us to be involved.
“It has been a pleasure to work with Rep. Orwall and Prof. Stuber on this project,” he said. “Hopefully there will be more collaborative efforts that focus on problems we can help solve together. I’m delighted that the bill was almost unanimously supported in both the House and Senate, and am equally pleased that Gov. Inslee today signed it into law.”