Washington initiative seeks to curb gun violence

SEATTLE (AP) – Washington state on Nov. 6 will decide the fate of an initiative that seeks to curb gun violence.

Initiative 1639 would toughen background checks for people buying semi-automatic assault rifles, increase the age limit to 21 for buyers of those guns and require safe storage of all firearms.

Kristen Ellingboe, a spokeswoman for the Yes On 1639 campaign, says their goal is to make schools and communities safer.

Opponents say Initiative 1639 strips the constitutional rights of 18- to 20-year-olds and criminalizes self-defense.

Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Bellevue-based Second Amendment Foundation, says forcing gun owners to lock away their firearms could put them in danger.

He says gun owners might not be able to access their firearms quickly if they need them for self-defense.