WA, ID among states with no restrictions on high-capacity ammo magazines

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Washington and Idaho are among the majority of states that have no restrictions on the types of high-capacity ammunition magazines used in this weekend’s deadly mass shootings in Texas and Ohio.

Police say the guns and magazines used in the shootings in El Paso and Dayton were bought legally.  Only nine states and Washington D.C. have restrictions on those magazines – and Washington and Idaho are not among them.

In Washington, voters approved Initiative 1639, which has since been signed into law by Democratic Governor Jay Inslee. It raised the legal age to buy a semiautomatic rifle from 18 to 21 years old, and calls for enhanced background checks and training for those looking to buy one. Bills aimed at restricting the sale and possession of both automatic and semi-automatic weapons, as well as high-capacity magazines holding more than ten rounds failed this legislative session in Olympia.

Meanwhile, in Idaho, there have not been any calls for restrictions on semiautomatic rifles or high-capacity magazines. The latest piece of firearm legislation in the Gem State came when Republican Governor Brad Little signed a bill lowering the age for someone to carry a concealed handgun inside city limits without a permit from 21 to 18 years old.

Every year, the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence grades each state on their firearm laws. Last year, Washington was given a B-plus while Idaho was given an F. (KXLY)

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