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Bill to expand background checks for guns appears dead

Written by Douglas County Republicans on .

By Jerry Cornfield, Herald Writer

OLYMPIA -- A controversial bill that would have required background checks on private gun sales appears doomed after its supporters failed Tuesday to round up enough votes to pass it in the state House.

An apparent deal seemed in place Tuesday morning after the author agreed to put the matter before voters this November.

While the move helped Rep. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, pick up the votes of a couple of undecided Democrats, it reportedly cost him support of other Democrats who disliked placing it on the ballot as a referendum.

As a result, Pedersen and House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, spent the afternoon and evening trying to pull together the 50 votes needed for passage in the chamber.

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http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20130312/NEWS01/703129764#Bill-to-expand-background-checks-for-guns-appears-dead%0A