'The only Washington that really matters is Washington State'

It was a ringing theme in every speech at the I-594 victory party on election night: Washington is leading the way. “Washington State will show the country that responsible gun laws make sense,” said Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said.“We have proved that when our elected officials won’t lead, we people will,” said I-594 campaign manager, Zach Silk.Now, The National Journal has echoed those sentiments, arguing that GOP-induced gridlock in Washington, D.C. isn’t hindering liberal activists — though it is shifting their focus. Liberals are going local, making headway at the state and city level by pouring money and time into these smaller-scale fights. With national gun laws unlikely, gun control groups are taking a state-by-state approach. That is exactly what the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety did for Washington State, spending $4 million to help the I-594 initiative pass. “The only Washington that really matters is Washington State," John Feinblatt, the president of Everytown, told National Journal. "It is the only up-or-down vote in the country. The NRA can bully politicians, but they cannot bully the American people.”— C.R.