Gov. Jay Inslee, Attorney General Bob Ferguson and a number of state legislators discussed several proposals on Monday afternoon aimed at curbing gun violence in Washington state. Inslee said over 800 Washingtonians are killed a year because of gun violence. It's the leading cause of death for young people, ahead of car accidents and cancer, Inslee said.  "Gun violence is an epidemic and it will increase if we do not take action," Inslee said at a press conference on Monday afternoon. Inslee said state lawmakers are planning several bills in the upcoming 2023 legislative session. The governor called the proposed permit to purchase bill the best action in legislators' efforts next year. Inslee said Connecticut passed a similar permit-to-purchase bill and saw a 40% decrease in gun violence. States that reversed course, Inslee said, had a 60% increase in gun violence. Rep. Liz Berry (D-36th District) said there will be a mandatory 10-day waiting period and training requirement to purchase firearms in the state if the bill is passed.  “No one should be shot to death – at work, at school, at church or at the grocery store," Berry said. "We will hold the gun industry responsible for all the families it has destroyed.” Regarding the permit-to-purchase proposal, a spokesperson for the Second Amendment Foundation responded with a statement that in part said, "gun owners will argue that no other constitutionally-protected right requires a permission slip from the police before a citizen can exercise it." READ THE FULL STORY: https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/state-lawmakers-bills-reducing-gun-violence-washington/281-bf15fdf1-e5ad-4e8f-8029-14a3ea9c0908