Voters in Washington state passed one initiative and rejected another on Tuesday, delivering two big victories to supporters of tougher gun laws.
Roughly 60 percent of voters backed Initiative Measure 594, which will close the so-called “gun show loophole” with an expansion of criminal background checks.
A rival measure that was backed by pro-gun groups was defeated by a wide margin. Only 45 percent of voters gave their support to Initiative Measure 591, which would have barred the state from requiring background checks beyond the national standard. A little more than 55 percent voted against I-591.
