East Bay lawmaker drafts assault weapons ban bill

Rep. Jason Knight: ‘This year, I’m in charge of the push’

By Josh Bickford
Posted 1/30/23

Rep. Jason Knight grew up around guns.

One of his earliest memories of firearms was firing a gun when he was around five years old. 

“I grew up in a time and place, it was just …

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East Bay lawmaker drafts assault weapons ban bill

Rep. Jason Knight: ‘This year, I’m in charge of the push’

Posted

Rep. Jason Knight grew up around guns.

One of his earliest memories of firearms was firing a gun when he was around five years old. 

“I grew up in a time and place, it was just different. I’m not saying it was right, but the house I grew up in had unsecured firearms,” he said. 

Rep. Knight, who grew up out west, has a different view of guns now. He has become a proponent for common sense gun control measures during his time at the Rhode Island Statehouse, and this session he will propose a bill that would ban assault weapons in the Ocean State. 

“My mind has changed since I was younger,” Rep. Knight said. “It’s been changed by the prevalence of mass shootings.”

Rep. Knight said the state’s lawmakers have already brought about numerous changes to the state’s gun laws — they passed legislation banning domestic abusers from possessing firearms; they raised the minimum age to own a firearm to 21; they banned bump-stocks and the open carry of long guns.

“We changed the background check systems to make it more effective,” Rep. Knight said. “We passed a Red Flag law, which has absolutely saved lives.”

Rep. Knight said the Red Flag law blocks individuals with mental health issues from possessing firearms. 

Most recently, the General Assembly passed a bill banning high capacity ammunition magazines. 

Rep. Knight said he spent a long time drafting the bill that would ban assault weapons. He recently circulated the bill among other legislators in search of co-sponsors. He said similar bills have been submitted in previous years, but failed to garner the necessary support. 

“I’ve been the sponsor or co-sponsor. This year, I’m in charge of the push,” he said. 

Rep. Knight said he is hopeful the bill will become law this year.

“Well, I sure hope it’s the year it’s going to happen,” Rep. Knight said. “The only thing left is really to get to a vote. This issue has never gotten to a vote in Rhode Island.”

Asked why, he answered, “That’s politics, really.”

Rep. Knight said he worked hard to respect Second Amendment rights while drafting the bill. 

“There’s a lot of people who would disagree with me, but I think we are doing that,” he said. 

Rep. Knight said if his bill was to pass, Rhode Islanders could still possess certain types of firearms. He said bolt-action rifles and other guns would not be banned. (Automatic weapons are already banned in Rhode Island.)

“It’s a balance, but certainly, with mass shootings being a reality, I would hate to be the legislature that could have done something, but didn’t,” Rep. Knight said. 

The East Bay legislator — he represents constituents in Barrington and Warren — said he views gun laws as more of a public health issue. He said people need to address gun violence from a number of different angles. 

A comprehensive approach, he said, will yield positive results. 

“Over time, I think you’ll see a reduction,” Rep. Knight said. 

A Navy veteran, Rep. Knight said Rhode Island already has more gun safety laws than most other states. He said time will tell if his bill will gain the necessary support. 

“It might be (the year) and I sure hope it is,” he said. “But it’s an ongoing conversation among all the representatives. We all have to get together and have these hard conversations, and then you should have a vote.”

Rep. Knight said he is also interested in a few other legislative priorities this year — he wants to pass the “Equality Abortion Coverage Act,” which would allow Medicare funds to be used for abortions. 

“And I also want to keep an eye on the (bike path) bridges, and do whatever we need to do to support the town,” Rep. Knight said.

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