At the R.I. State House

Red flag bill, bump stocks ban now law

Local lawmakers have a hand in bills passed by General Assembly

Posted 6/4/18

PROVIDENCE — Following passage by the General Assembly the previous day, Gov. Gina M. Raimondo on Friday signed into law two bills aimed at reducing gun violence and mass shootings.

One …

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At the R.I. State House

Red flag bill, bump stocks ban now law

Local lawmakers have a hand in bills passed by General Assembly

Posted

PROVIDENCE — Following passage by the General Assembly the previous day, Gov. Gina M. Raimondo on Friday signed into law two bills aimed at reducing gun violence and mass shootings.

One is “red flag” legislation that allows courts to disarm individuals who are believed by law enforcement to represent a violent threat to themselves or others. The other is a ban on bump stocks and other rapid-fire gun modifications.

The first bill, sponsored in the House by Rep. Dennis M. Canario (D-Dist. 71, Portsmouth, Little Compton, Tiverton) and in the Senate by Senate Majority Whip Maryellen Goodwin, is known as a “red flag” law because it allows police to seek from Superior Court an “extreme risk protective order” that prohibits an individual from possessing firearms, based on threats and other warning signs that the person might commit violence.

“This new law will disarm those who pose a serious threat for the protection of children and the public,” said Rep. Canario. “As a retired police officer with more than 25 years of experience in the law enforcement field, I thank my fellow officers for their leadership and commitment to addressing this critical situation. With this new law, we have an important means of stopping troubled individuals from carrying out violence and preventing tragic events.”

The governor signed the bills while flanked by several legislators during a State House ceremony that was attended by gun safety advocates, many of whom wore orange in recognition of National Gun Violence Awareness Day.

The other bill, sponsored by Sen. James A. Seveney (D-Dist. 11, Portsmouth, Bristol, Tiverton) and Rep. Robert E. Craven of North Kingstown, bans bump stocks, binary triggers and trigger cranks on semi-automatic weapons.

A bump stock is an attachment that allows the shooter to fire a semi-automatic weapon with great rapidity. It replaces a rifle’s standard stock, freeing the weapon to slide back and forth rapidly, harnessing the energy from the kickback shooters feel when the weapon fires.

Lawmakers in support of the bill pointed out that during last October’s mass shooting in Las Vegas, 12 of the rifles in the gunman’s possession were modified with a bump stock, allowing the weapon to fire about 90 shots in 10 seconds — a much faster rate than the AR-15-style assault rifle used by the Orlando nightclub shooter, which fired about 24 shots in nine seconds.

“These devices are all ways to get around the federal law that bans fully automatic weapons by making semi-automatic weapons fire almost as fast as them,” said Sen. Seveney. “Today, we stop this end run and ban these horrific devices in Rhode Island.”

Both bills have the support of Governor Raimondo, Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin, General Treasurer Seth Magaziner, the State Police, the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence, the Rhode Island chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America (a part of Everytown) and the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

“The legislature prioritizing these bills and Gov. Raimondo’s swift signing of them today, along with last year’s enactment of lifesaving domestic violence legislation demonstrates that Rhode Island is joining the ranks of states leading the fight to prevent gun violence,” said Jennifer Boylan of Barrington, a volunteer leader with the Rhode Island chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “Once again, our lawmakers have listened to the majority of Rhode Islanders and taken action to protect our families and keep our communities safe. These bills will save lives and we are so proud to see them signed into law.”

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