Washington State Rep. Tara Simmons, a Democrat who supported bans on so-called “assault weapons” and high-capacity magazines, is facing backlash after posting photos of herself shooting an AR-15 at a gun range. The rifle shown featured a high-capacity magazine—exactly the type of firearm she voted to ban.
The photos, originally shared by Simmons on Facebook, showed her praising her firearms instructor and expressing gratitude for learning self-defense. “Kind of sad that single women need to learn how to protect themselves these days,” she wrote. Conservative critics quickly pointed to the contradiction between her legislative record and her personal actions.
Simmons responded to the criticism in an interview with The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, claiming the firearm belonged to her trainer and was legally owned before the state’s ban took effect. “I do believe all people should be able to protect themselves,” she said. “I do not believe we need an AR-15 to do so.”
While asserting that she supports “reasonable” gun policies, Simmons argued that her post was intended to bridge partisan divides, not deepen them. However, the backlash has only intensified, especially from those who question her consistency and motivations.
Further scrutiny emerged after questions were raised about her legal ability to handle firearms at all. Simmons, a convicted felon, explained that her firearm rights were restored in December 2023 after years without further convictions. Critics were unmoved, noting that her gun range photo and gun control votes remain fundamentally at odds.
Simmons has built a record of controversial proposals that have drawn fire from law enforcement and victims’ rights groups. She once pushed legislation allowing incarcerated felons, including serial killers, to vote and run for office. She supported bills that would place sex offenders on boards with their victims and allow convicted criminals to volunteer in public schools.
In 2023, she made headlines for proposing reduced sentences for drive-by shootings to promote “racial equity,” and supported giving judges clemency authority to cut sentences without new evidence.
Despite her claims of bridging divides, critics argue her actions reveal the same elitist double standard often seen in progressive circles—restricting Second Amendment rights for others while exercising them personally when convenient.
