Inslee to unveil initiative to fight gun violence

OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee will unveil a plan to address gun violence, suicide and mental health Wednesday during a visit to a Burien clinic.

On Tuesday morning, Inslee’s office announced a noon visit to the Navos Mental Health and Wellness Center, where he will be joined by a professor from the University of Washington School of Social Work and the director of the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center. His staff would say only that he would be talking about a public health effort involving proposals to address gun violence and suicide.

The timing so close to President Obama’s announcement of tougher gun restrictions was coincidental, said Jaime Smith, Inslee spokeswoman. In the prepared statement for Wednesday’s announcement, Inslee praised Obama’s proposals, adding Washington voters expanded background checks for gun purchases in the 2014 election.