This post will be updated.
Youth/School Actions and Groups
District Wide Walkout for Gun Law Reform
Wed Feb 21st, 11:22 at Bellingham High Schools and Middle Schools, then students will meet at City Hall at 12:00 for the community to join in.
Organized by: Local high school students in Bellingham #studentsforaction.
On Wednesday February 21st at 11:22 am we invite students, families, and teachers to participate in an district wide walk out for gun law reform. At 11:22am, we will all get up and walk out of class.
SQHS: walk to the common area where lunch is where we will hold a ceremony to speak about the victims of the Florida school shooting.
SHS: meet in the student lounge for a 30 minute ceremony
BHS and Options: meet in the BHS commons for a 30 minute ceremony
AFTER THE CEREMONY: head to City Hall to march at noon.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1887594601530605/ (Note: this Facebook event is for the community to support the students.)
Teachers Take Action Against Gun Violence
Tues March 6th
Organized by Teachers Take Action Against Gun Violence: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersTakeAction/
Open to teachers, students, parents, and ANYONE ELSE who cares about a teacher or a student!
Teachers are starting to mobilize as a force to protect our schools, because apparently no one else is going to do it. We’re planning a lobby day, targeted legislative outreach, and teacher prep mobilization blitz for March 6, with the purpose of planning the lesson, scaffolds, outcomes, and more to help our students as they organize to demand gun control NOW on March 14 and April 20, while also organizing teachers wherever we can to take action and go to their state capitals as well.
No known local contact/organizer so far.
ENOUGH: National School Walkout
Wed March 14th, 10:00 am
Organized by Women’s March Youth Empower: https://www.womensmarch.com/empower/
https://www.womensmarch.com/enough
Women’s March Youth EMPOWER is calling for students, teachers, school administrators, parents and allies to take part in a #NationalSchoolWalkout for 17 minutes at 10am across every time zone on March 14, 2018 to protest Congress’ inaction to do more than tweet thoughts and prayers in response to the gun violence plaguing our schools and neighborhoods.
March for Our Lives
Sat March 24th, in Washington, D.C. with sister marches nationwide
Organized by March for Our Lives: https://www.marchforourlives.com/
On March 24, the kids and families of March For Our Lives will take to the streets of Washington DC to demand that their lives and safety become a priority and that we end gun violence and mass shootings in our schools today.
Bellingham: https://www.facebook.com/events/218714885356746/
Bellingham organizers: https://www.facebook.com/BellinghamMarchForOurLives/
Blaine:http://act.everytown.org/event/march-our-lives-events/9543/signup/?source=&akid=s245206..kJIwnk&zip=
National School Walkout
Fri April 20th, 10:00 am
Organized by National School Walkout: http://act.indivisible.org/event/national-school-walkout/
On the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting, walk out of school, wear orange and protest online and in your communities.
No knowl local contact/organizer so far.
Teachers, Parents, Students and Allies for Gun Reform NOW
Facebook group intended to mobilize people ready for action intended to produce real gun reform. Run by local folks.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/GunReformNOW/
Whatcom County Students Against Gun Violence
Local Facebook page for students, teachers, and families that are tired of the gun violence, and want to make a change.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/WCSAGV
Students for Action
Students For Action is an organization with student safety in mind, and is led and created by students of the four high schools in Bellingham, Washington.
https://www.facebook.com/Students4Action/
https://www.instagram.com/studentsforaction/
WWU Students Against Gun Violence
WWU Students against Gun Violence is a student-led organization committed to action that brings change to ensure the safety of students on campus – here and across the country. This page is a place for students, faculty, staff and all members of the Western community to communicate, plan and share action opportunities with each other.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/WWUStudentsAgainstGunViolence
Other Groups
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
Moms Demand Action is a program of Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention advocacy organization in the country, with more than 1.5 million grassroots supporters
New Member Meet and Greet Sat February 24th, 10:30 in Bellingham.
https://www.facebook.com/events/326049207884967/
Moms Demand Action Skagit County
Everytown for Gun Safety
Everytown is a movement of Americans working together to end gun violence and build safer communities.
Petition: Tell streaming services: Stop the NRA from spreading its hateful rhetoric and DUMP NRATV!
Alliance for Gun Responsiblity
The Alliance for Gun Responsibility is a nonprofit that works to end the gun violence crisis in our state. We work on gun responsibility issues, policy and programs in communities across Washington. Gun violence prevention is a priority for Washingtonians and we are proud to be a driver of meaningful change in our state.
Action: Join Students to Take OLYMPIA on Tuesday March 6th at 10:15am to help our final push for the School and Community Safety Bill SB-6620.
Grandmothers Against Gun Violence
Grandmothers Against Gun Violence works collaboratively with other groups to reduce gun violence and remedy the complex societal factors that contribute to a culture of gun violence.
http://www.grandmothersagainstgunviolence.org/
Drain the NRA
Drain The NRA is a grassroots movement that combats the gun lobby’s stranglehold on Congress by boycotting and divesting from the gun industry and its corporate partners, while shining a light on those politicians who value the NRA’s financial contributions over the lives of their own constituents.
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
The mission of the Brady organization and its Million Mom March is to create a safer America by cutting gun deaths in half by 2025.
Moms for Gun Reform PostCard Campaign
Moms demand common sense gun control to ensure no more children are executed at school. Join us in our non-partisan post card campaign to our elected officials to let them know that the NRA does not speak for us and we demand that our voices are heard.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/154228091952177/
Current Pending Legislation
WA State
SB5992 – Concerning bump-fire stocks. Bans the sale, manufacture, and possession of bump-stocks, which are trigger-modifications.
Status – 2/27/18 PASSED both chambers
How did your legislators vote?
Roll call 40th LD
- 1/25/18 Senator Kevin Ranker – yea
- 2/23/18 Representative Christine Lytton – yea
- Representative Jeff Morris – yea
- 2/27/18 Final Senate vote with House amendments – Senator Ranker – yea
Roll call 42nd LD
- 1/25/18 Senator Doug Ericksen – nay
- 2/23/18 Representative Vincent Buys – nay
- Representative LuAnne Van Werven – nay
- 2/27/18 Final senate vote with House amendments – Senator Ericksen – yea
SB5553 – Preventing suicide by permitting the voluntary waiver of firearm rights for persons vulnerable due to suicide or other danger to self or others.
Status – 2/23/18 PASSED both chambers
How did your legislators vote?
Roll call 40th LD
- 1/24/18 Senator Kevin Ranker – yea
- 2/23/18 Representative Christine Lytton – yea
- Representative Jeff Morris – yea
Roll call 42nd LD
- 1/24/18 Senator Doug Ericksen – yea
- 2/23/18 Representative Vincent Buys – nay
- Representative LuAnne Van Werven – nay
SB5444 – Concerning enhanced background checks and licensure for assault weapons and large capacity magazines.
Status – IN COMMITTEE This measure has been revived by the Senate Ways & Means Committee as part of a larger package of school safety measures in SB6620.
SB6620 – Improving security in schools and the safety of students. This is a package of measures, including those proposed in SB5444. In addition, it would:
- Prohibit the sale or transfer of a semiautomatic rifle or shotgun with tactical features unless both a federal and a state background check have been completed through law enforcement.
- Prohibit a person under the age of twenty-one from purchasing a semiautomatic rifle or shotgun with tactical features.
- Establish a grant program through the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) for school districts to implement emergency response systems to expedite the response and arrival of law enforcement in the event of a threat or emergency at a school.
- Create the Students Protecting Students program within the Office of the Attorney General (AGO) to provide an anonymous way that students and the community can report unsafe, potentially harmful, dangerous, violent, or criminal activities or the threat of those activities.
Status – IN COMMITTEE (Rules). First read on 2/23/18.
National
HR 38 – Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017. This would greatly weaken state laws on concealed weapon, mandating reciprocity of permits among states. If passed, a Washington resident who could not pass a background check under our state law could obtain a concealed weapons permit from another state with lax or no background check.
Status – PASSED THE HOUSE. May be taken up by Senate this spring.
How did your Representatives vote?
Roll Call 1st District
- 12/6/17 Representative Suzan Del Bene – nay
Roll Call 2nd District
- 12/6/17 Representative Rick Larsen – nay
(Thanks to League of Women Voters Washington State for the great summary on their site.)