R.I. Senate unveils revised ban on assault-style weapons
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On Tuesday, the Senate announced the revised version of the bill, and said Lawson had directed Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Matthew L. LaMountain, a Warwick Democrat, to work with committee members to address concerns raised during a hearing on the bill.
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The amended bill would not ban possession of assault-style weapons, as the House bill did, but it would prohibit the manufacture, purchase, sale, or transfer of certain firearms.
The amended bill would apply the ban to fewer pistols and shotguns. It would also remove a voluntary program, proposed in the House-passed legislation, in which people who own the specified weapons could get a certificate of possession from their local police department.
'Removal of this provision helps to assuage concerns that such language was tantamount to an unconstitutional gun registry,' the Senate statement said.
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Under the bill, anyone in lawful possession of the covered firearms before the July 1, 2026, effective date could continue to possess them. Anyone convicted of violating the ban could face up to 10 years in prison or fines up to $10,000, and forfeiture of the firearm.
The Senate statement included a quote from Monisha Henley, senior vice president of government affairs for Everytown for Gun Safety, who noted this is the 12th year such legislation has been introduced in Rhode Island.
'Assault weapons bans save lives — period,' Henley said. 'Compromise is a part of public policy progress, and the amended version of this bill is still a massive step forward in limiting access to weapons of war and a Rhode Island free from gun violence.'
The group said that while the amended language covers fewer guns, it 'still covers the majority of the assault weapons market.'
The Senate statement also quoted Diana Garrington, a volunteer with the Rhode Island chapter of Moms Demand Action and a fellow with the Everytown Survivor Network whose daughter was killed in Providence.
'The pain of having my daughter taken by someone armed with an assault weapon is something I wish no one else experiences,' Garrington said. 'Any restriction on these weapons of war is a step in the right direction for the state of Rhode Island, and if this amended version of the bill has the best path forward, it 100 percent has our support.'
But the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence issued a statement that 'expressed dismay' over the amended bill and emphasized that the coalition is the 'only state-based gun safety advocacy group.'
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'Knowing we have a strong assault weapons ban bill that has already passed the House of Representatives, and knowing that the bill has the votes on the Senate floor, we don't understand how a weakened version of the bill would be acceptable to advocates, lawmakers or partners,' coalition Executive Director Melissa Carden said.
The coalition urged Lawson 'to do everything she can to get the amended House bill, or a Senate equivalent, to the floor where we know it would pass.'
Senator Louis P. DiPalma, the Middletown Democrat who sponsored the Senate version of the bill, said he understand why some advocates oppose the revised bill. But, he said, " Don't let better be the enemy of good enough."
DiPalma said 'the core of the bill remains' intact in the amended legislation. 'I think the 'eye on the prize' is that we are restricting the future sale, manufacture, and purchase of the deadliest weapons currently available to man,' he said.
He said that if you asked Rhode Islanders 'Do we do this or do nothing?' the majority would say, 'Do this, do something, we need to do something now.'
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Pamela J. Lauria, a Barrington Democrat, said she would like to know what the plan is to get the amended bill through the House. 'I don't think it is as strong as the bill that came to us from the House,' she said.
The House sponsor, Representative Jason Knight, a Barrington Democrat, declined to comment on the amended version of the Senate bill, as did House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, a Warwick Democrat.
Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz, a North Smithfield Republican, and Senate Minority Whip Gordon Rogers, a Foster Republican, noted they are ex-officio members of the Judiciary Committee, and said they do not support the legislation in either its original or amended form.
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If they vote in committee, as expected, that would increase the number of votes needed to get the bill out of the 10-member Judiciary Committee.
'The amended legislation still goes too far, banning certain shotguns and infringing on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens,' Rogers said in a statement. 'With all eyes on this high-profile vote, maintaining the integrity of the legislative process is crucial.'
De la Cruz said that while she does not support the legislation in any form, she gives credit to Lawson and LaMountain 'for not circumventing the process by moving this legislation to any other committee when it unequivocally belongs in Judiciary.'
LaMountain said the revised bill reflects varied perspectives on the proposal.
'While some committee members' sincerely held beliefs make them unlikely to support any version of this legislation, I believe that the majority of the committee members brought their concerns to the table in a good faith effort to improve the legislation before us,' he said. 'I encourage all of my colleagues to support this common-sense gun safety legislation.'
In a statement, Lawson thanked LaMountain and other Senate Judiciary Committee for their work on the bill. 'I look forward to casting my vote in favor of this legislation with the hope of making Rhode Island a safer place for all,' she said.
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at
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