1997 Washington Initiative 676 Explained

1997 Initiative Measure No. 1639
Concerns firearms
Date:November 4, 1997
Location:Washington, United States
Yes:496690
No:1194004
Electorate:4362459
Notes:Source:

Initiative 676 was an unsuccessful Washington state ballot initiative concerning firearms regulation that appeared on the ballot for the November 1997 elections.

The initiative was filed on February 3, 1997, by Thomas C. Wales of Seattle, who later became a victim of gun violence himself. 239,805 signatures were collected to qualify it for the ballot.[1]

Ballot title

The ballot title was as follows:

Shall the transfer of handguns without trigger-locking devices be prohibited and persons possessing or acquiring a handgun be required to obtain a handgun safety license?

Support

Many physicians and medical associations expressed support, claiming it would decrease gun accidents especially in children. William H. Gates, the father of Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, donated $150,000 towards the passage of Initiative 676. Bill and Melinda Gates earlier contributed $35,000 to the cause. The Washington Citizens for Handgun Safety raised $575,658 by September 1997.

Opposition

Snohomish County Sheriff Rick Bart was opposed, voicing concerns about the strain the passage of the initiative could put on law enforcement, and excessive punishments for violations.

Ameripac, a federal-level political action committee, contributed $100,000 to opposing Initiative 676. Gun rights organizations, including the National Rifle Association of America, contributed more than $2.3 million in opposition to the measure.[2]

Results

Despite polling indicating voters almost exactly split,[3] the initiative overwhelmingly failed to pass, and was rejected in every single county. The highest percentage voting yes was San Juan County at 45.1%.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Initiatives to the People . 7 May 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091212181401/https://www2.sos.wa.gov/elections/initiatives/statistics_initiatives.aspx . 12 December 2009 . live.
  2. Web site: Washington Handgun Trigger Locks, Initiative 676 (1997) . Ballotpedia . 7 May 2023 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20141015225111/https://ballotpedia.org/Washington_Handgun_Trigger_Locks,_Initiative_676_(1997) . 15 October 2014 . live.
  3. News: Lewiston Morning Tribune - Google News Archive Search . 7 May 2023 . news.google.com.
  4. Web site: Election Search Results - Elections & Voting - WA Secretary of State . www.sos.wa.gov . 7 May 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141025215738/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kbReAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BjAMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5577,2230783&dq=initiative+673+g:locwashington&hl=en . 25 October 2014 . live.