OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — A state Senate committee heard public testimony on a measure that would ban the open carry of guns and other weapons on the Capitol campus and at or near any public demonstration across the state.
The bill would prohibit people from carrying weapons, while attending or being within 1000 feet of a demonstration at a public place.
The measure would also make it a gross misdemeanor to openly carry weapons in the state Capitol or on the Capitol’s grounds.
Proponents called it a common-sense measure amid heightened political divisions, while opponents argued it would infringe on constitutional gun rights.