Latest news with #Kelso-based
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State supreme court upholds ban on high-capacity gun magazines
May 8—The Washington state Supreme Court has upheld a state law that bans the sale or transfer of gun ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. In a 7-2 ruling issued Thursday, the court found that the law does not violate the state or federal constitutional right to bear arms. The court found that the magazines are not classified as arms, and that the right to purchase the magazines is not "an ancillary right necessary to the realization of the core right to possess a firearm in self-defense." The law does not prohibit the possession of high-capacity magazines possessed at the time of its passage, but instead prevents the sale, transfer or import of new magazines. "By restricting only magazines of a capacity greater than 10, the statute effectively regulates the maximum capacity of magazines, leaving the weapon fully functional for its intended purpose. Thus, we are not convinced that the restriction here renders the right to bear arms in self-defense meaningless," Justice Charles Johnson wrote in the opinion. "Indeed, we can safely say that individuals are still able to exercise the core right to bear arms when they are limited to purchasing magazines with a capacity of 10 or fewer." In a dissent, Gordon McCloud wrote that "Millions of law-abiding people have chosen semiautomatic firearms as the primary tool for lawful purposes such as self-defense in the home." "Millions of people have chosen to feed ammunition into those commonly used firearms with magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds," McCloud wrote. "It necessarily follows that the Second Amendment protects the arms-bearing conduct at issue here, that is, keeping and bearing operable semiautomatic firearms with commonly used magazines for self-defense and other lawful purposes — including in the home." Adopted by the Washington legislature in 2022, the law was challenged by Gator's Custom Guns, a Kelso-based gun store that contended the law was unconstitutional. A Cowlitz County Superior Court judge ruled in the store's favor last June, a ruling that then-Attorney General Bob Ferguson appealed to the state Supreme Court. In a social media post Thursday, current Attorney General Nick Brown said the decision is "right on the law and will save lives." "Large capacity magazines are used in the overwhelming majority of mass shootings, and reducing the toll of these senseless killings is vitally important," Brown wrote. "I'm proud of my Office's work defending our state law banning the sale of these dangerous items." In a video posted Thursday afternoon, attorney and former Washington Attorney General Candidate Pete Serrano, who represented Gator's guns in the case, said they would likely file an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. "I think this case has the tentacles the Supreme Court's been looking for," Serrano said.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Washington cements ‘high-capacity' magazine ban in landmark ruling
This story was originally published on The Washington Supreme Court has upheld the state's ban on high-capacity firearm magazines, reversing a lower court's previous decision. The law was first passed in 2022, making it illegal to buy or sell magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds. However, people who already own 'high-capacity magazines' can keep them, according to The Seattle Times. In a 7-2 majority opinion, Justice Charles Johnson stated that large-capacity magazines (LCMs) are not considered 'arms' under constitutional definitions and are not necessary for self-defense. Six national gun rights groups had filed separate briefs during the lawsuit, hoping the Supreme Court would kill the ban. Currently, 13 other states have similar bans on high-capacity magazines. The fight over the ban began in 2023 when the Cowlitz County Superior Court ruled that it violated both state and federal constitutional rights. Gator's Custom Guns, a Kelso-based gun retailer, argued that the state's ruling was not consistent with longstanding firearm traditions. Former Attorney General and current Governor Bob Ferguson has previously voiced support for the ban. He claims that siding with the lower court's interpretation could threaten the state's broader authority to regulate guns, such as AR-15s and fully automatic weapons. He claimed that imposing 'sensible limits on military-style guns' is non-exclusive with the constitutional right to self-defense.
The Herald Scotland
02-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Mountain Warehouse Scottish insect spray supplier bought out
Scotmas Group, which was started by Stefan Cameron's grandfather, was previously the majority shareholder. He is targeting growth in online sales and further expansion in overseas markets. Kelso-based Pyramid Travel Products specialises in manufacturing health-related travel products aimed at protecting 'outdoor enthusiasts from adventurers to gardeners', with a particular emphasis on safety in malaria-prone and tropical regions. Read more HSBC noted that Pyramid is aiming to expand its online sales presence through its website and other marketplaces, 'shifting focus towards individual customers' while maintaining its business relationships with companies such as Mountain Warehouse and Ocado. Pyramid, which already has a presence in Germany, Chile, Singapore and Norway, plans to expand its product range and enter new territories in Europe, the Middle East, and South America. The company, which recorded turnover of around £1 million in 2024, employs seven full-time staff, including in technical, operations, and production roles. It is hiring two additional seasonal staff during the summer to meet increased demand. Stefan Cameron, managing director of Pyramid, said: 'The ownership transition will enable us to be better prepared and positioned for future growth as market demands and our service offering evolves. Thanks to the support from HSBC UK, I have been able to smoothly transition into becoming the majority stakeholder.' Allan McGraw, relationship manager at HSBC UK, said the management buy-out at Pyramid would 'pave the way for continued growth in the years to come'.
