Seattle politician aims to take safe gun storage law national

Seattle passed and implemented a safe gun storage law over the past year. Now, one of its higher lawmakers wants to take such gun control regulations nationwide.

“Establishing reasonable, common sense standards for storing guns and gun locks in the home is just one simple part of the responsibility we have to keep children and families safe,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal in a statement Wednesday. “It is our moral imperative to do all we can to prevent the all-too-frequent occurrence of gun violence, and I’m proud to partner with Rep. Engel in introducing this important piece of legislation.”

Jayapal represents Washington’s 7th congressional district, which covers Edmonds through Seattle and Burien, and Vashon Island. Along with Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), she is proposing the Safe Gun Storage Act in Washington D.C. HR 4691 was introduced Thursday.

They argue that a majority of gun owners (54 percent) do not safely store their firearms, and that 34 percent of homes with guns also have youth ages 18 years and younger. They further argue that 18 percent of all gun injuries happen because of improperly stored guns.