Five Rhode Island legislators, including three from the East Bay, visited Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Dec. 13, for a White House event to support state-level legislative efforts to prevent gun violence.

Rep. Jason Knight (D-District 67, Barrington and Warren), Sen. Pamela J. Lauria (D-District 32, Barrington, Bristol and East Providence) and Rep. Jennifer Boylan (D-District 66, Barrington and East Providence) joined Senate Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Dawn Euer and Rep. Justine A. Caldwell for a White House State Legislative Convening on Gun Violence Prevention. The event brought together state legislators from across the country to strategize on gun violence prevention legislation they will introduce in the upcoming legislative sessions.

The lawmakers heard from Biden-Harris administration officials about what they are doing to advance gun violence prevention. They also listened to panels of fellow state legislators on investment in gun violence prevention strategies and gun safety policy, and participated in breakout sessions where they discussed the legislative agenda ahead with their colleagues from around the country.

Rep. Boylan said the local legislators were energized by the event. 

“Every Rhode Islander deserves to be safe from gun violence, and we are committed to taking concrete steps toward this goal in the upcoming legislative session,” she said. 

At the Dec. 13 event, the Biden-Harris administration introduced its “Safer States Initiative” to provide states with additional tools and the support they need to reduce gun violence and save lives. The plan provides lawmakers with actions states should take, including efforts like requiring safe firearms storage and banning assault weapons.

Reps. Caldwell and Sen. Lauria have sponsored safe firearms storage bills in Rhode Island. They said they are hopeful that the strong backing of this legislation from the Biden-Harris administration will help their bill achieve passage in the upcoming legislative session.

“Responsible gun owners already store their firearms safely to prevent tragedy,” Sen. Lauria said. “There is wide support for making safe storage a requirement, rather than an option, and we are very hopeful that with the backing of the White House and our peers across the nation, we can finally put this protection in place here in Rhode Island and other states.”

Among the legislation included in the Safer States Initiative is the banning of assault weapons. Rep. Knight has sponsored similar legislation for years. 

“While I’m proud of the steps the General Assembly has taken in the last few years to protect Rhode Islanders from gun violence, we need to finally ban high-powered weapons like AR-15s,” Rep. Knight said. “These powerful killing machines are the preferred weapon of mass shooters, enabling them to take dozens of lives in mere seconds. If you’re asking what we can do to help prevent Rhode Island from suffering the kind of tragedy that our neighbors in Maine just experienced, banning assault weapons would be a major step in the right direction. 

“We appreciate the support we are getting from the White House for these bills, and we look forward to pushing for them in the new session.”

Rhode Island enacted a large-capacity magazine ban in 2022, sponsored by Rep. Caldwell and former Senate Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Cynthia A. Coyne, of Barrington.