The King County Council is investing more than $600,000 to implement enforcement of firearm relinquishment and compliance in domestic violence and extreme protection order cases, funding the work approved by Washington state voters through Initiative 1491 in 2016.

They are investing an additional $100,000 for a public health outreach and education campaign to promote firearm injury prevention around the county.

Meanwhile, Council Chair Joe McDermott and Council members Claudia Balducci, Rod Dembowski, Larry Gossett, Jeanne Kohl-Welles and Dave Upthegrove released the following joint statement regarding Sunday’s mass shooting in south Texas.

“How many more bullet casings and bodies must fall before legislators in our nation’s capital muster the courage to stop people from dying from weapons in our streets? It is beyond time to act,” said the council members in a media release. “We are doing our part today, but real change must start in Washington, D.C. Congress has a moral obligation to act and to act immediately.

“The people of King County stand with the people of south Texas and send our deepest condolences to those who lost loved ones in yet another preventable attack.”

Council members Reagan Dunn, Kathy Lambert and Pete von Reichbauer released their own joint statement in response to the tragedy in Texas:

“All people deserve to feel the utmost level of safety, especially at their place of worship. We condemn this despicable act of violence.”