Seahawks, Blazers Owner Paul Allen Gives $1M to Gun Control Ballot Initiative

Paul Allen, who owns the Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle Seahawks donated $1 million to support the passage of a ballot initiative in Washington state that place increased restrictions on gun ownership, he announced Monday. 

According to the Willamette Week's Nigel Jaquiss, Initiative 1639 includes raising the minimum age to purchase assault weapons to 21, addresses the system for background checks prior to the purchase of a firearm and would require training for anybody interested in purchasing a gun.

Four years ago, Allen gave $500,000 to a similar measure, Initiative 594, which required background checks for all firearms purchases. Washington voters passed Initiative 594 with almost 60 percent of the vote. A federal appeals court upheld the law in October 2017 after a lawsuit by gun rights advocates.

Allen's contribution comes three days after a shooting at Santa Fe (Texas) High School left nine students and one teacher dead and another 10 injured.

Initiative 1639 will be placed on the 2018 election ballot in November if it receives 260,000 signatures.