Washington state Senate OKs bump-stock ban in rare victory for gun-control advocates

The Washington Senate has approved a bill to ban bump stocks, the type of rapid-fire trigger modification that entered the national consciousness after last fall’s mass shooting in Las Vegas.

The vote for Senate Bill 5992 on Thursday night came as a rare victory at the Washington Legislature for gun-regulation advocates.

For years, proposed gun laws in Olympia have stalled long before getting a full vote of the Legislature.

That inaction stands in stark contrast to the new gun laws Washington voters broadly approved at the ballot box in 2014 and 2016.

On Thursday, four Republicans joined Democrats to approve the bump-stock ban, including Sen. Dean Takko, D-Longview, who previously said he was leaning against the proposal.