Washington State Rep posts pics of herself with AR-15 after voting for 'assault weapons' ban

Washington State Representative Tara Simmons, who previously voted to ban "assault weapons" and high capacity magazines, posted pictures of herself at a shooting range using an AR-15 with a high capacity magazine.

The photos, shared by UnDivided podcast host Brandi Kruse, were posted by Simmons on Facebook in a post praising her firearms trainer and expressing gratitude for learning how to protect herself. “Kind of sad that single women need to learn how to protect themselves these days,” she wrote. “But I couldn’t ask for a better teacher.”

Critics quickly pounced on her hypocrisy, calling her out for training with the very types of weapons she voted to restrict.

Simmons said in a statement to The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, “The ban is for future purchases. The firearm belongs to my trainer, and he owned it before the ban."

"I was learning how to use a variety of firearms safely during my training," she claimed. "I do believe all people should be able to protect themselves. I do not believe we need an AR-15 to do so. I support reasonable policies that make us all safer. I also believe owning legal firearms or learning to shoot shouldn't be shameful, so I posted this to try to help bridge a divide in our two parties I do not believe needs to exist."

Social media pundits questioned if Simmons, who is a convicted felon, was even allowed to possess or use the firearms. Simmons told Hoffman, “I had my firearm rights restored around December 2023 after a very long period of time without a conviction and a lot of hard work.”

But for many, it didn’t resolve the core issue: if Simmons believes people don’t need AR-15s to protect themselves, why is she training with one? Simmons has been criticized for her soft-on-crime positions and for her proposals, which critics say are pro-criminal.

She previously attempted to pass legislation that would allow felons, including serial killers, to vote, serve on a jury, and even run for office while incarcerated. She also sponsored House Bill 2177, which would require a victim of a sex offense to serve with a sex offender on a board, along with other representatives.

Before the last session of the Legislature, she pre-filed a bill that would have given judges clemency powers to unilaterally decide to reduce sentences for violent offenders years later, even if the facts of a case have not changed. She also proposed letting convicted felons volunteer in public schools. In 2023, Simmons proposed reducing penalties for drive-by shootings to promote "racial equity."