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A police report said Margot Blacker, a longtime local fixture
of the political left who served on City Council from 1989 to
1997, admitted taking the signs last week because she believed
pro-gun groups had stolen her signs promoting tougher firearms
laws.
Blacker, 74, is a proponent of Initiative 594, a state ballot
measure that would expand background checks on guy buyers to
include private sales and transfers of weapons. The measure is
expected to pass during the November election.
The campaign signs she is accused of stealing urge a "yes" vote
on an opposing measure, Initiative 591, which would bar the
state from expanding background checks unless the federal
government does so first.
The Citizen's Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and
Protect Our Gun Rights, which supports Initiative 591, has asked
that Bellevue prosecutors pursue criminal charges.
Blacker could be charged with third-degree theft, a felony
offense that carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a
$500 fine, Bellevue police said. The former council member could
not immediately be reached for comment.
(Reporting by Victoria Cavaliere; Editing by Steve Gorman and
Peter Cooney)
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