R.I. Senate votes to ban sale, purchase of assault-style weapons

Boston Globe

4 hours ago

The Rhode Island Senate vote tally on amended legislation to ban the sale, purchase, and manufacture of assault-style weapons.
Edward Fitzpatrick
Senators Louis P. DiPalma, the Middletown Democrat who sponsored the Senate version of the bill, noted that assault weapons bills have been introduced for a dozen years without becoming law. 'We need to get this done,' he said. 'We need to get this done today.'
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DiPalma noted that a union
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He said the state of Washington has enacted a similar law banning the sale, purchase and manufacture of assault-style weapons. And he said that if the bill becomes law in Rhode Island, 'the proliferation of assault style weapons will go down precipitously.'
Senator Pamela J. Lauria, a Barrington Democrat, attempted to amend the bill to reflect the House-passed version of the legislation. She said it is crucial to pass a bill that bans possession — and not just sale — of assault weapons, especially now that President Trump's administration is scaling back the federal government's ability to enforce gun laws.
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Lauria noted that Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha had backed the House version of the bill, saying he could defend it in court. And she urged senators to 'pass the best possible bill,' including a ban on sale and possession of those guns.
But DiPalma objected to Lauria's amendment, saying it sought to circumvent the committee process that had resulted in the House bill being held for further study in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
New Senate President Valarie J. Lawson, an East Providence Democrat and teachers union president, upheld DiPalma's objection. Lauria challenged Lawson's ruling, and the Senate then voted 25 to 12 to back Lawson's ruling, thereby killing Lauria's amendment.
Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz, a North Smithfield Republican, and other Republicans proposed several amendments, including a proposal to delay implementation until July 1, 2027, rather than July 1, 2026.
De la Cruz said the banned weapons make up to 70 percent of the stock of some gun shops, and they need time to adjust. She noted the legislature had delayed implementation of new laws on casino smoking and payday loans, and she said those law don't involve the 'fundamental rights of the Second Amendment.'
Senator Andrew R. Dimitri, a Johnston Democrat, voted against the bill, saying, 'This bill still punishes good people, and does nothing to stop crime.'
But Senator Meghan E. Kallman, a Pawtucket Democrat, voted for the bill, citing mass shootings ranging from Columbine High School in 1999 to the Tree of Life synagogue in 2018.
'I am appealing to this chamber's sense of urgency. I do not want to have it happen here,' Kallman said. But she said she was voting for the bill 'over deep disappointment because we had the opportunity to do something better, stronger, and with much more moral clarity.'
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In the leadup to Friday's vote,
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at