The Rhode Island Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday approved an assault weapon bill that left both gun-rights advocates and some gun-safety supporters feeling disappointed.
The bill, an amended version of legislation sponsored by Sen. Louis DiPalma (D-Middletown), cleared the Judiciary Committee on an 8-to-6 vote.
The amended bill bans the sale, although not the use or possession, of the guns defined as “assault weapons.” DiPalma said the amended version limits prohibited weapons to the deadliest versions, including AR-15s and AK-47s. Those weapons could still be acquired after the bill takes effect if they are equipped with fixed magazines, with the rationale that they are slower to load. It also eliminates a voluntary statement of ownership that critics described as de facto gun registration.
Senate President Val Lawson could have used her authority to move a different bill to the Senate floor, but she opted for a different path.
Lawson and Majority Leader Frank Ciccone of Providence, a licensed gun dealer, used their ex officio capacity to vote in favor. Also supporting the bill: Judiciary Chairman Matthew LaMountain (D-Warwick), Sens. Matthew McKenney (D-Warwick), Jake Bissaillon (D-Providence), John Burke (D-West Warwick), Dawn Euer (D-Newport), and Ana Quezada (D-Providence).
Voting in opposition were Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz (R-North Smithfield) and Senate Minority Whip Gordon Rogers (R-Foster) — both using their ex officio capacity — along with Sens. Andrew Dimitri (D-Johnston), Todd Patalano (D-Cranston), Thomas Paolino (R-Lincoln) and Leonidas Raptakis (D-Coventry).
The bill is slated to move to the Senate floor Friday — the expected last day of session — when opponents may try to modify it through amendments. By some counts, 24 members of the 38-member Senate support a more rigid approach.
Raptakis spoke for the frustration of gun rights supporters, many of whom came to the Statehouse in their characteristic yellow T-shirts, when he prefaced the quick vote with some remarks.
“I need to emphasize my disgust that we are once again infringing on Second Amendment rights of all Rhode Islanders,” he said. “No form of firearms ban is acceptable under the guise of making us safer. It’s ridiculous. If anything, we are less safe because law-abiding citizens will not be able to buy weapons to defend themselves next year.”
Speaking after the vote, Melissa Carden of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence, told The Public’s Radio she was disappointed the Judiciary Committee backed what she called a watered-down version of DiPalma’s bill, rather than a competing bill from state Rep. Jason Knight (D-Barrington).
“It’s the version that has been vetted by all the advocates, supported by the attorney general, legislators — you know, it’s already passed the House, we know we have the majority support on the Senate floor. So I’m not sure why we have this weakened version,” Carden said.
A different, national gun safety group, Everytown for Gun Safety, supported the vote.
LaMountain called the bill “a compromise, a bill that could get out of Senate Judiciary and gain support from some people who had concerns with the bill.”
Regarding criticism that the amended bill was watered-down, LaMountain said, “We can’t get from A to Z overnight. You’ve got to take incremental steps to make real progress and real change, so I’m happy we’re moving forward on that regard right now.”
Rep. Knight declined an interview request for this story.
House Speaker Joe Shekarchi told The Public’s Radio he did not yet have a stance on the amended bill, since he had not read it.
In an interview, DiPalma said the amended version of the AWB bill maintains “the nucleus” of the original legislation.
DiPalma called committee passage of the bill “a great day for the state of Rhode Island.”
