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Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Politics
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WA joins 15 states suing over deregulation of rapid-fire gun devices
This story was originally published on Washington is joining a multi-state lawsuit targeting a specific type of gun trigger. Washington Attorney General Nick Brown announced on Monday that he's joining 15 other attorneys general in suing the Trump Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) over their plans to allow the sale of forced reset triggers. 'Communities are less safe with these mass-shooting devices in circulation,' Brown said in a statement. 'Essentially deregulating them is another example of this administration being driven by extreme ideology rather than commonsense.' Forced reset triggers are devices that allow semi-automatic rifles to be fired more rapidly. The suit says returning the devices to market violates federal law, arguing they turn regular guns into machine guns. The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently settled with the maker of the triggers, Rare Breed Triggers, resolving previous lawsuits brought by the Biden Administration. The agreement states Rare Breed Tiggers 'will not develop or design FRTs for use in any handgun.' It also requires the ATF to return the triggers 'that it has seized or taken as a result of a voluntary surrender.' 'This Department of Justice believes that the 2nd Amendment is not a second-class right,' Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. 'And we are glad to end a needless cycle of litigation with a settlement that will enhance public safety.' The federal lawsuit announced on Monday was filed in the state of Maryland. Attorney General Brown is joining New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Colorado, Hawai'i, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the District of Columbia. Read more of Aaron Granillo's stories here.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Washington sues federal government to block distribution of forced reset triggers
Jun. 9—Washington has joined 14 other states and the District of Columbia in challenging a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives plan to return seized "forced reset triggers," a device the Washington Attorney General's office says allows novice shooters to "achieve the firepower of a military machine gun." "Communities are less safe with these mass-shooting devices in circulation," Washington Attorney General Nick Brown said in a statement Monday. "Essentially deregulating them is another example of (the Trump Administration) being driven by extreme ideology rather than commonsense." The lawsuit follows a settlement by the Department of Justice, which announced in May it would resolve a case that challenged the ATF designation of the device as "machine guns." "This Department of Justice believes that the 2nd Amendment is not a second-class right," Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement announcing the settlement. "And we are glad to end a needless cycle of litigation with a settlement that will enhance public safety." The device allows an operator to fire their weapon in quicker succession by mechanically resetting the trigger after each shot. Washington law bans machine guns, as well as any "mechanism or instrument" that does not require the trigger to be pulled for each shot. Federal law similarly bans the possession of machine guns. According to the complaint, at least 100,000 of the devices have been sold throughout the country. "A forced reset trigger uses a spring assist in shoving the trigger shoe back forward, resetting the trigger," said Jeremy Ball, owner of Sharpshooting Indoor Range and Gun Shop. "A forced reset trigger does not change the mechanical makeup of a gun; all it does is assist the shooter in resetting the trigger." Ball added that while the device still requires the user to pull the trigger, it takes less effort and skill to fire the weapon more quickly. Still, Ball said the device has limitations. "Anytime we're talking about shooting a gun fast, the only thing that matters is whether you're able or not to hold that gun on a target," Ball said. Forced Reset Triggers have been at the center of several legal battles in recent years amid an increase in machine gun fire incidents. In 2022, ATF determined that some of the devices would be classified as machine guns under the National Firearms Act, making them illegal to own. According to the Washington Attorney General's office, ATF seized "thousands" of the devices following the designation. The Department of Justice then filed a lawsuit against Rare Breed Triggers, which produced and sold the devices online. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that ATF had exceeded its authority by designating bump stocks, which allows a shooter to fire a gun more rapidly by using the weapon's recoil to bump the trigger, as a machine gun. A federal judge in Texas cited that ruling, finding similarly that the agency could not designate forced reset triggers as a machine gun. As part of the settlement with the Justice Department, Rare Breed cannot develop or design forced reset triggers for use in any pistol and will enforce its patents to prevent infringement. Rare Breed also agrees to promote the safe and responsible use of its products. In May, the U.S. Attorney General's Office noted the settlement is in alignment with President Donald Trump's "Executive Order Protecting Second Amendment Rights" and the "Attorney General's Second Amendment Enforcement Task Force." The lawsuit brought by Washington alleges the settlement violates a federal prohibition on owning a machine gun and seeks a preliminary injunction to prevent the Trump administration from distributing the seized devices. According to the Washington Attorney General's Office, machine gun conversion devices allow firearms to shoot up to 20 bullets in one second. Use of the devices has increased in recent years, with machine gun fire incidents up 1,400% from 2019 through 2021, according to ShotSpotter, Inc., which has placed acoustic sensors in about 130 U.S. cities. Ball said while he doesn't "necessarily have a dog in the fight or care" about the disagreement regarding forced reset triggers, a rise in the usage of "Glock switches" is a reason for concern. The small, mostly 3-D-printed devices can be attached to the end of a firearm and transform a semi-automatic pistol into a fully-automatic weapon. "That is a device that legitimately turns a firearm into a machine gun," Ball said. In September, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts seized 350 internet domains that were used to illegally import the switches and silencers from China. Between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Chicago alone seized more than 1,500 of the devices, according to the agency.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Washington sues to stop federal plan to distribute thousands of machinegun conversion devices
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown joined a coalition of 16 states and the District of Columbia in filing a federal lawsuit Monday against the Trump administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) over a plan to distribute thousands of machinegun conversion devices across the U.S. The lawsuit targets the federal government's decision to stop enforcing restrictions on forced reset triggers (FRTs), devices that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire like machineguns, and to return nearly 12,000 previously seized devices. The devices are federally classified as machineguns under the National Firearms Act. 'Communities are less safe with these mass-shooting devices in circulation,' Brown said in a statement. 'Essentially deregulating them is another example of this administration being driven by extreme ideology rather than commonsense.' FRTs are illegal under federal law and in many states, including Washington. They are designed to replace the standard trigger in firearms and allow continuous fire with a single pull, mimicking the function of fully automatic weapons. Firearms equipped with FRTs can discharge up to 20 rounds per second, according to the lawsuit. ATF had previously classified FRTs as machineguns and conducted seizures across the country. But the agency reversed course following a settlement agreement signed under the Trump administration on May 16, which resolved multiple lawsuits, including one in Texas where a judge ruled the devices did not meet the federal definition of a machinegun. That ruling is currently under appeal. The agreement commits ATF to stop enforcing the federal ban on FRTs—even against people and companies not party to the lawsuits—and to return the devices 'to the extent practicable' to any individual or company who had them seized. Attorneys general argue the move not only violates federal law but also risks 'a permanent threat to public safety,' particularly in states where FRTs are explicitly banned. The complaint alleges that redistributing these devices will increase violent crime, mass shooting incidents, and public health costs. According to the complaint, FRT-equipped firearms have already been linked to several shootings across the country, including in New Jersey and Maryland. From 2019 to 2021, incidents involving machinegun fire rose 1,400%, according to ATF data. The agency has also reported an increase in the use of these devices in violent crimes, including homicide and assaults. The coalition is seeking a preliminary injunction to block the ATF from moving forward with the redistribution plan. It also asks the court to declare the agreement unlawful and set it aside. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. Other states joining the suit include New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Colorado, Hawai'i, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the District of Columbia.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Will Trump's AmeriCorps cuts stick? Federal judge rules them unconstitutional
Two months after the Trump administration abruptly cut more than $21 million in AmeriCorps grants, decrying waste, a court order issued Wednesday at the urging of 24 state attorneys general blocked the administration's efforts to dismantle the federal agency for national service and volunteerism. As previously reported by The News Tribune, 99 corps members were cut in Pierce County, impacting organizations like the Imagine Justice Project, Girl Scouts of Western Washington, the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge and the Washington Conservation Corps. Many of the affected organizations operated on small budgets and relied on corps members to fulfill their missions, which include helping vulnerable youth, the environment, veterans, seniors, low-income people and food banks. The abrupt cancellation left many corps members — who are often young and living paycheck to paycheck — without stipends, education grants and valuable job experience. Washington Attorney General Nick Brown joined attorneys general in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin — in addition to the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania — in filing a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's plan to 'eliminate nearly 90% of AmeriCorps' workforce, abruptly cancel its contracts and close $400 million worth of AmeriCorps-supported programs,' according to a news release. A federal judge found the Trump administration's actions were unlawful 'because Congress explicitly required that the agency provide advance notice and an opportunity to comment on any major changes to AmeriCorps services,' according to the press release. 'Today's order restores $12 million in unspent funds vital to AmeriCorps programs in Washington,' said the Washington Attorney General's Office. 'The court's decision preliminarily stops the Trump administration from terminating them while the litigation continues.' As of Friday afternoon the Trump administration had not filed an appeal. It has 60 days to do so. 'We'll continue this fight until the Trump administration finally respects the rule of law and the value of community service,' Brown said in the news release. On Friday the immediate impacts of the ruling were unclear. Messages the News Tribune left with Serve Washington, which administers the programs in the state, were not immediately returned. In a message sent to program recipients Thursday, which was shared with The News Tribune, Serve Washington program director Dyann Trujillo said there are many unanswered questions about the action and meaning of the ruling. 'We are working with our legal team and [America's Service Commissions] to understand what directions to provide without incurring unneeded risk. More specifics may not be available until next week,' Trujillo wrote. In the email, Trujillo said by 5 p.m. Friday AmeriCorps would provide written notices of the court order to recipients of the terminated awards in the plaintiff states and impacted AmeriCorps members. By 5 p.m. Tuesday, AmeriCorps would file a status report documenting the actions it has taken to comply with the order, she wrote. Curt Hart with the Washington Department of Ecology told The News Tribune on Friday he hoped the court ruling would restore the federal AmeriCorps grant that made up 14% of the Washington Conservation Corps' budget. If that happens, Curt said, it would restore the AmeriCorps Education awards members had expected to receive to use for tuition or to repay student loans. Additionally, it would allow the federal AmeriCorps program to deploy Washington Conservation Corps members to help communities outside of Washington affected by natural disasters, he said. 'I think a lot depends on when and how the case will finally be decided,' Curt said in an email. 'Yesterday's decision did give us guarded optimism.' Messages left with the Girl Scouts of Western Washington (which would see fewer girl scout troops and programs with the cuts) and the Billy Frank Jr. National Wildlife Refuge (which would no longer be able to host as many field trips) were not immediately returned Friday. The Imagine Justice Project in Pierce County — which saw cuts to its successful youth violence prevention programs — said all of its programs had to formally exit AmeriCorps members by May 28, according to coordinator Kaitlan Ohler. 'Many of our members have had to make other arrangements for income and in some cases housing,' she said Friday.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
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Washington attorney general goes before 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on birthright citizenship
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown was back in a Seattle courtroom Wednesday on birthright citizenship. Arguments were heard before a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. At issue was a nationwide preliminary injunction issued in February blocking President Donald Trump's executive order, which sought to change birthright citizenship, enshrined in the 14th Amendment. The debate was whether to make the preliminary injunction permanent or overturn a lower court's ruling. The executive order would disqualify those born in this country to illegal immigrants from becoming birthright citizens. WA AG says Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship is unconstitutional In court, Washington's Office of the Attorney General argued the executive order is clearly unconstitutional and the preliminary injunction should be made permanent. 'We're talking about overturning the fundamental understanding of what it means to be an American in this country, and what it has meant since the 14th Amendment,' Brown said. Department of Justice lawyers argued birthright citizenship doesn't apply to undocumented immigrants' children born here, or those in the country on work or student visas. 'We're seeing some radical ideas take root at the highest level of government. And so it is more important than ever the attorneys general are standing united to fight against the unlawfulness of this president,' Brown said There is no word on when a decision will be handed down. The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to rule on procedural questions, and that could affect the timing. Follow James Lynch on X. Read more of his stories here. Submit news tips here.
