Inslee to students: Speak up against gun violence

OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee encouraged Washington students to participate in Wednesday’s protest against gun violence, and will talk to a group who plan to walk out of class.

“I’m glad they’re speaking up,” Inslee said Tuesday. “I want to thank them for their voices.”

The governor plans to address students of Ballard High School on Wednesday morning while in Seattle for a series of public events. He called the rise of student protests in the wake of the Parkland, Florida, high school shooting “an inspiring movement.”

He’ll discuss the steps the state is taking to improve school and gun safety, and the failure to pass restrictions on the sale of semi-automatic rifles that would have required a buyer to be at least 21 and undergo the same rigorous background check as a handgun purchaser.

“That makes no sense whatsoever,” he said of the bill’s failure. “We need to get legislators who will move the ball.”