Rep. Hayes testifies on tightening firearm offender registry law

January 28, 2016

A longtime law enforcement officer is calling for the state to tighten the firearm offender registry law.  Dave Hayes says the current statute isn't tough enough.  Ruth Johnson reports from Olympia.

Johnson:   Dave Hayes is not only an officer of the law, he is a lawmaker in the House of Representatives.  He says people convicted of a firearm offense should automatically register in the state database.  Current law requires the court to decide whose name is added.

(Voice cut: Hayes-FIREARMS-CLIPA-012716 – Run time : seconds – Out cue: . . .not using it.)

Hayes: “My concern is that we put a tool in place and the judges are not using it.  There's been around 12 hundred offenders that would have been eligible to register for this.  Only 86 have been required by the judges to register as a firearms offender. 

Johnson:   If approved, the new law–mandatory registration–would apply to firearm offenses involving a minor child, sexual motivation, or serious violent offenses.  Lesser offenses would remain at the discretion of the judge.

Ruth Johnson, Olympia.