You're listening to The Takeaway. I'm Melissa Harris Perry. It wasn't until 1889 that Washington became a state.

And while they may have been late comers to the union, the Evergreen State has proved to be an early adopter of progressive policy.

In 1910, women gained the right to vote in Washington. That was more

than a decade before the 19th Amendment. In 1970, the state legalized abortion, three years before Roe v. Wade.

In 2012, Washington, along with Colorado, became the first state to legalize the recreational use of cannabis, and in 2014,

Seattle became the first major city to pass the law incrementally increasing the minimum wage

to $15 an hour. Now, Washington State is helping lead the way on gun policy reform.

Now, it's not the first state to ban assault weapons,

but in a year with over 200 mass shootings already and growing calls for political leaders to take

actions to address gun violence. In late April, Washington's governor, Jay Inslee, signed into law

several pieces of gun policy legislation.

One new law bans the sale, distribution, manufacture, and importation of more than 50 assault-style

gun models. There is no reason for their use in the state of Washington. No one needs an AR-15

to protect your family. You only need it to kill

other families. And for that reason, we are taking action today. Earlier this week, I talked with

Governor Inslee, and I let him know I was born in Seattle while my parents were grad students

at UW. He offered me a nice virtual welcome home.

Governor, thanks for joining us on the takeaway.

You bet.

I'm glad you're even remotely in Washington your birthplace.

And I keep my eyes on the Pacific Northwest, in part because the state of Washington has a long

and venerable tradition as a truly sort of progressive marker in our

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