Alliance for Gun Responsibility – April 7, 2026

MARCH NEWSLETTER

2026

30 Years Since Moses Lake – What We’ve Learned

February marked the 30th anniversary of the shooting at Moses Lake, which took three lives, including the younger brother of Alliance for Gun Responsibility CEO, Renee Hopkins.  In two thoughtful Op-Ed’s published in The Spokesman-Review and Seattle’s Child, Renee revisits that fateful day and offers progressive solutions that could prevent another life-altering event like the one that occurred in Moses Lake three decades ago.  Seattle’s Child: “Thirty years ago, my world stopped. I was just out of college when my brother, Arnie, was killed by a student who brought a firearm to Frontier Junior High School in Moses Lake…Arnie was 14 years old.”

Lawmakers in Olympia Hear Directly from AGR

A short session means a busy session, and that means there was no rest for the Alliance. Starting in early January, the Alliance has had a steady presence in Olympia this Legislative session. Whether it’s testifying in support of restoring funding to the Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention or dozens of orange shirted activists deploying to the gallery following the floor action, you couldn’t be anywhere in the Capitol without hearing the Alliance’s message that gun violence is preventable.

We Are Deeply Disappointed

Despite the clear data, expert endorsements, and the overwhelming public support, the House failed to pass HB 1152, our Safe Storage bill. By failing to move this legislation forward, legislators missed a critical opportunity that will result in at least one more year of unaccountability for irresponsible firearm owners. It’s regrettable that after years of organizing, advocacy, and making significant investments to elect leaders who campaigned on gun violence prevention, that safe storage became a negotiating bargaining chip as well as a convenient excuse for legislators lacking courage and leadership.

So, what are we going to do? We’re going to recommit the Alliance to elevating safe storage to the top of Washington’s public safety agenda. We will foster this legislative environment with education to our gun violence prevention champions and newly elected officials on safe storage data, research and device distribution success stories. Legislators, you’re going to see the Alliance in your districts, at your Town Hall meetings, and tabling at your community events. We will be holding policy briefings, conducting trainings and organizing gun violence prevention champions across the state.

Let’s re-energize legislative support for a safe storage law

in Washington!

Alliance Helps Deliver Public Safety Win: Governor Signs Bill Cracking Down on 3D Printed Ghost Guns

A major component of the Alliance’s 2026 legislative agenda, HB 2320, was signed into law by Governor Ferguson. This is a piece of legislation that will strengthen Washington’s ghost gun statute to directly address the growing threat of untraceable, 3D-printed firearms. The Alliance for Gun Responsibility thanks the Governor, bill sponsor Representative Osman Salahuddin, and the Washington State Legislature for delivering another public safety win for communities across the state.

With the passage of HB 2320, Washington continues to take a proactive approach to closing gaps in existing law and addressing emerging risks before they escalate. The Alliance for Gun Responsibility will continue working with lawmakers and partners to advance practical, evidence-based solutions that strengthen public safety and reflect the realities communities are facing today.

AGR Field Team is Everywhere

Not only has the AGR Field Team been a constant presence in the Capitol Gallery, they’ve also been building partnerships with community organizations across Washington. In 2026, our Field Team assisted and volunteered at the Washington Youth Alliance Lobby Day, where they held meetings with legislators on key issues affecting young people in Washington – most importantly gun violence prevention. We  also attended the National Survey: How Young Adults View the Health of Our Democracy Forum, which focused on how young people are thinking about a range of issues from democracy reform and gun violence prevention during these tense times.  The Alliance also delivered an introductory presentation on gun violence prevention and advocacy to teens at the YMCA Clark County, and our very own, Isaiah Lenard talked about why youth engagement around gun violence prevention matters to students at Shorewood High School in Shoreline, WA.

Alliance for Gun Responsibility Launches New ‘Washington State Protection Orders’ Advertisements

Last summer, we were proud to launch a stateline online portal designed to help understand, navigate, and access civil protection orders across Washington. The website, waprotectionorders.org, is tailored to meet the needs of survivors, respondents, advocates, law enforcement and legal professionals, by consolidating information on all six types of civil protection orders in Washington. 

The Alliance created a series of social media advertising campaigns in support of Washington’s Protection Orders, including this ‘Behind the Scenes’ look at the making of those advertisements. This ad – developed by our very own, Sean Kent, with a voice-over from our Communications Intern, Angelina Riley – highlights the user-friendly nature of the Washington Protection Orders website with clarity, justice and added safety measures for those who need it most.

For more information please visit: waprortectionorders.org

What’s Your Favorite Sign of Spring?

Spring has sprung! Take the quiz below:

Spring?

Researchers Find Pro-Gun Groups Spend Big in Elections After School Shootings

Since 1999, over 420 school shootings have occurred in the United States, exposing more than 390,000 students to gun violence. From Sandy Hook to Uvalde, in the aftermath of each tragedy come familiar rituals of prayers and calls for reform. Yet, Congress has stalled on significant gun safety reform for decades. 

A recent study by researchers at Stanford Law School investigated why this gap between public concern and federal action persists, despite broad popular support for gun safety reforms. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, claimed that political spending from gun policy groups might explain this trend.

Read more: https://stanforddaily.com/2026/03/10/pro-gun-groups-spend-big-in-elections/Spring?

AGR Celebrates Passage of SB5974 Ensuring Accountability and Constitutional Compliance Across All Washington Communities 

The Alliance for Gun Responsibility applauds the Washington House of Representatives for passing SB5974, a comprehensive piece of legislation that modernizes and strengthens standards for sheriffs, police chiefs, and town marshals across the state. The bill ensures that all law enforcement leaders, whether elected or appointed, meet consistent professional qualifications and accountability standards. SB5974 establishes baseline eligibility requirements for law enforcement leadership, including a minimum age of 25, no felony or serious misconduct convictions that would trigger certification revocation, and a minimum of five years of relevant experience. Equally important, the legislation creates clear accountability mechanisms that apply uniformly to all police leaders when serious misconduct occurs. Under current law, a sheriff’s or police chief’s certification can be revoked, but it remains unclear whether they must be immediately removed from office. SB5974 closes this gap, ensuring that no one in charge of a law enforcement agency has less accountability than those who work for them. The passage of SB5974 comes on the heels of new polling that showed 75% of likely 2026 Washington voters enthusiastically favor strengthening qualifications and accountability standards for law enforcement leadership

In Memorandum

Cheryl was a fierce champion of gun violence prevention. After surviving the horrendous Jewish Federation shooting in Seattle in 2006, Cheryl committed her life to helping ensure others would not have to endure what she did.  As the Citizen sponsor of I-594 Cheryl helped chart a new reality for GVP in Washington State. Cheryl will forever be remembered as a servant leader whose actions helped save countless lives in Washington and around the country. 

ALLIANCE FOR GUN RESPONSIBILITY
P.O. Box 4187 Seattle, WA 98194