Washington state will once again be a leader in the nation in the creation of common sense gun laws.

That’s our prediction, and it’s one we’ve made before with success, to our gratitude.

Officials with the Washington Secretary of State’s office announced last week that supporters of Initiative 1491 had submitted enough signatures for the proposal to force a vote on the measure for November’s General Election Ballot.

If approved by Washington voters, I-1491 would allow the granting of “extreme risk” protection orders that would prevent people with a high risk of harming themselves or others from getting access to guns.

Police, families and others would have the right to seek a court order to temporarily prevent those showing signs of mental illness, violence or other behavioral problems from obtaining a firearm.

Similar laws are already on the books in California, Indiana and Connecticut.

I-1491’s green light for the fall ballot was celebrated by activists across the state.

Leanne Kennedy, a volunteer with the state chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, said: “Sometimes, incidents of gun violence are preceded by warning signs that family and law enforcement are in a unique position to observe — and [I-1491] gives them a tool to help stop shooting tragedies before they happen. Along with a coalition of gun safety advocates, we’re ready to work hard to get out the vote and continue to make Washington state a leader in gun safety.”

The initiative drive was led by Moms Demand Action and the Alliance for Gun Responsibility, the two groups that rallied voter support for Initiative I-594, Washington state’s background check ballot measure, which was passed by voters in 1994.

We said then that I-594 was the next logical step in reducing senseless gun violence, and we predicted it would easily pass at the ballot box.

And, despite an aggressive push-back by the National Rifle Association and other gun ownership advocates, it did, and easily passed with 60 percent of the vote.

Come November, Washington will once again show it’s ready to take the next smart step toward preventing gun violence.