White House, gun control groups praise Washington gov's gun safety laws as 2nd Amendment groups file lawsuits

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The White House and gun control groups are hailing victory after Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed a comprehensive package of reforms Tuesday. 

Among the trio of bills intended to reduce gun violence, one bans the sale of certain semiautomatic rifles, one imposes a 10-day waiting period on firearms purchases, and one clears the way for lawsuits against gunmakers or sellers in certain cases. 

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee  (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images, File)

"Today, we’re standing on the right side of history by taking action on gun violence to improve the health, safety, and lives of Washingtonians," Inslee tweeted. 

The bill does not outright ban the possession of assault weapons. Law enforcement and military service members may still own them, with exceptions made in cases of inheritance. 

A crowd of gun-control activists and Democratic lawmakers broke into cheers as he signed the measures, which he said would not solve all gun violence but would save lives. 

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White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre praised Washington state officials for the legislation. 

President Joe Biden "commends the leadership of Washington Governor Jay Inslee and legislative leaders as well as the advocates, survivors and elected officials who fought for years to make today a reality," she said. 

The activist group, Moms Demand Action, heralded the legislation as a victory for gun control advocates. 

"This victory follows relentless advocacy by our volunteers, who testified in support of these bills, send over 1,500 digital actions, and made hundreds of calls to lawmakers to get this life-saving legislation across the finish line," the group said. 

"Lawmakers, take notes. THIS is you take action to #EndGunViolence!" tweeted Students Demand Action. "Shoutout to Washington Students Demand Action leaders who spoke up, showed out, and organized for gun safety!" 

Washington is now among 10 U.S. states that have banned the sale of assault weapons. 

Still, the ban on some semiautomatic sales is already drawing legal challenges from the Bellevue-based Second Amendment Foundation and the Firearms Policy Creation, based in Sacramento, California. 

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The groups sued in the U.S. District Court in Tacoma on Tuesday, saying the law violates the constitutional right to keep and bear arms. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.