Washington State Senate Passes Controversial Assault Weapons Ban

The Washington state Senate has passed a bill to ban the sale and manufacture of assault weapons, with exceptions for those who already possess them and law enforcement agencies. The bill would ban at least 60 different types of assault weapons and would take effect immediately if signed by the governor. The move comes as the debate over gun control in the U.S. continues to march on at the national level in the wake of several mass shootings in states like Tennessee and Kentucky. The bill must now return to the House for concurrence on some of the amendments made to the legislation.