December 19, 2014:

Some Washington Law Enforcement to Avoid Strict Enforcement of I-594

Recently passed Washington State Initiative 594, which significantly expanded the requirement to conduct background checks for firearm transfers, may not prove to be the victory its proponents had originally hoped for. Lewis County (population over 75,000) Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer and Sheriff-elect Rob Snaza have issued a public letter stating they will not be prosecuting individuals who inadvertently violate the background check requirements provided within I-594, but rather will only prosecute offenders who intentionally commit criminal firearm transfers. The letter states, in pertinent part, that Lewis County law enforcement is “not going to try to trap citizens into transferring a gun to a friend and then try to ban them on a violation of 594. That’s not what [they] are interested in.” A copy of I-594 can be found here. A copy of Lewis County officials’ open letter can be found here.

Texas Representative Proposes Firearm Tax-Holiday

State Representative Jeff Leach (R) recently proposed (for the second time) a bill which would establish a tax-free firearm holiday in Texas. HB206, if passed, would allow firearm owners to purchase shotguns, handguns, rifles, archery equipment, ammunition and other firearm-related gear tax-free during the last weekend in August. The bill, which has been endorsed by the NRA, was originally introduced in 2013 – but it did not pass. This second time around, proponents of the bill are more hopeful for its passage, given the recent GOP gains in the state legislature. The first state to pass such tax-free legislation, South Carolina (in 2008), saw a 650 % increase in one-day sales in its first year of existence. A copy of the bill can be found here.

Renzulli Law Firm is Monitoring Firearm-Related Legislative Developments  

Renzulli Law Firm, nationally recognized as one of the premier law firms in the country serving the Firearms Industry, is monitoring legislative developments affecting the industry and publishing regular updates which are available by e-mail and on this website.  Any questions you may have about these developments should be directed to John F. Renzulli or Christopher Renzulli.