Latest news with #SB116
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama bans devices converting pistols to machine guns
The Republican governor of Alabama, Kay Ivey, signed a gun control bill on Wednesday, banning 'Glock switches' and other devices that turn rifles and pistols into machine guns. Ivey said: 'While there is a federal ban on these gun conversion devices, we needed a way to empower our own law enforcement here in Alabama to get these illegal and extremely dangerous Glock switches off our streets. 'I am proud to support law enforcement and work to combat crime by putting my signature on SB116.' Ivey's office said the bill was part of a 'Safe Alabama public safety package' and Ivey looked forward 'to the other bills … reaching her desk'. Everytown for Gun Safety, a group that campaigns for gun safety reform, defines 'Glock switches' as a form of auto sear, 'devices that convert semi-automatic firearms, which are designed to fire one shot per trigger pull, into fully automatic machine guns, allowing a shooter to continue firing as long as the trigger is depressed and the gun has ammunition. 'In other words, with an auto sear (also known as a 'machine gun conversion device' or MCD), someone can fire an entire magazine's worth of ammunition in mere seconds. Worse yet, auto sears are very easy to manufacture and can even be 3D printed, which is why these components – especially those designed by third parties for Glock pistols, known as 'Glock switches' – are showing up at more and more crime scenes around the country.' Everytown points out that 'Glock switches' are not made by Glock, 'even if they are branded or referred to as such'. Such devices have been banned federally since 1986 and were banned by 23 states before Alabama followed suit. Gun rights groups oppose state bans, with the National Rifle Association saying: 'There's plenty to be done using existing law before law-abiding gun owners should countenance any further restrictions on their rights.' Gun Owners of America said: 'The rise in new 'machine gun conversion devices' is further proof that gun laws only apply to law abiding citizens and do nothing to stop criminals.' Criminal use of machine gun conversion devices is indeed an increasing problem. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said nearly 5,500 such devices were taken into custody between 2017 and 2021, a 570% increase on the previous four years. In 2022, the most recent year on record, Alabama saw 1,278 gun deaths at a rate of 25.2 per 100,000 people, the fourth-highest rate in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Everytown classes Alabama's gun safety laws as 'weak', though it commends laws passed in 2015 that 'keep guns away from domestic abusers'. Philip Ensler, a Democratic state representative from Montgomery, the state capital, campaigned for the 'Glock switch' ban. On Wednesday, he said he was 'immensely grateful that our legislation to pass a ban on devices that convert pistols into machine guns was signed into law and that it is effective immediately. With this law, we passed a state law prohibiting one of the most dangerous gun accessories that exist. 'Passing gun safety legislation – especially as a Democrat – in Alabama is not easy. But through the creation of a strong, diverse coalition that transcended party, we were able to enact this important measure. 'Today, we proved that progress can happen and that the Alabama legislature can come together to help solve real problems. May we always remember each and every person who has died from gun violence and may this legislation help save lives moving forward.'
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Kay Ivey signs ‘Glock switch' ban into law
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey delivers the State of the State address in the Old House Chamber at the Alabama State Capitol on Feb. 4, 2025 in Montgomery, Alabama. (Will McClelland for Alabama Reflector) Gov. Kay Ivey Wednesday signed a bill making possession of a 'Glock switch,' which converts semi-automatic handguns into fully automatic weapons, a state crime. SB 116, sponsored by Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, would make it a Class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $15,000 fine, for a person to own or sell the combination of parts that create a Glock switch. The legislation does not apply to law enforcement or people who register their firearms with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. 'While there is a federal ban on these gun conversion devices, we needed a way to empower our own law enforcement here in Alabama to get these illegal and extremely dangerous Glock switches off our streets. I am proud to support law enforcement and work to combat crime by putting my signature on SB 116,' Ivey said in a statement. Glock switches were used in a mass shooting in Birmingham last September that killed four people and left 17 injured. The device is already illegal under federal law, but lawmakers and supporters say making it a state offense will allow state officials to prosecute possession under state law. Ivey endorsed the legislation in the 2025 State of the State speech as part of a broader public safety package. The bill was the first firearm restriction legislation to pass the Alabama House of Representatives since 2010. Rep. Phillip Ensler, D-Montgomery, who has sponsored a similar bill each year since the 2023, said in a statement that passing gun legislation is not easy but that supporters 'overcame resistance to gun safety legislation and passed a state law prohibiting one of the most dangerous gun accessories that exist.' 'Today, we proved that progress can happen and that the Alabama legislature can come together to help solve real problems,' Ensler said in a statement. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signs bill banning devices that convert semi-automatic weapons into machine guns
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — On Wednesday, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed into law a bill banning Glock switches and other conversion devices that convert semi-automatic weapons into machine guns. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Phillip Ensler and Sen. Will Barfoot, was approved by Alabama lawmakers on Tuesday. 'The hope is that we deter people in the first place,' Ensler said prior to the bill's passage. 'If they know that there's a state level ban, and they know that Alabama is taking it seriously, hopefully, it'll stop people from having these in the first place.' The push for a state law banning conversion devices increased following multiple mass shootings in the state last year. 'While there is a federal ban on these gun conversion devices, we needed a way to empower our own law enforcement here in Alabama to get these illegal and extremely dangerous Glock switches off our streets. I am proud to support law enforcement and work to combat crime by putting my signature on SB116,' Gov. Ivey wrote. The measure takes effect immediately. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Guardian
19-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Alabama bans devices converting pistols to machine guns
The Republican governor of Alabama, Kay Ivey, signed a gun control bill on Wednesday, banning 'Glock switches' and other devices that turn rifles and pistols into machine guns. Ivey said: 'While there is a federal ban on these gun conversion devices, we needed a way to empower our own law enforcement here in Alabama to get these illegal and extremely dangerous Glock switches off our streets. 'I am proud to support law enforcement and work to combat crime by putting my signature on SB116.' Ivey's office said the bill was part of a 'Safe Alabama public safety package' and Ivey looked forward 'to the other bills … reaching her desk'. Everytown for Gun Safety, a group that campaigns for gun safety reform, defines 'Glock switches' as a form of auto sear, 'devices that convert semi-automatic firearms, which are designed to fire one shot per trigger pull, into fully automatic machine guns, allowing a shooter to continue firing as long as the trigger is depressed and the gun has ammunition. 'In other words, with an auto sear (also known as a 'machine gun conversion device' or MCD), someone can fire an entire magazine's worth of ammunition in mere seconds. Worse yet, auto sears are very easy to manufacture and can even be 3D printed, which is why these components – especially those designed by third parties for Glock pistols, known as 'Glock switches' – are showing up at more and more crime scenes around the country.' Everytown points out that 'Glock switches' are not made by Glock, 'even if they are branded or referred to as such'. Such devices have been banned federally since 1986 and were banned by 23 states before Alabama followed suit. Gun rights groups oppose state bans, with the National Rifle Association saying: 'There's plenty to be done using existing law before law-abiding gun owners should countenance any further restrictions on their rights.' Gun Owners of America said: 'The rise in new 'machine gun conversion devices' is further proof that gun laws only apply to law abiding citizens and do nothing to stop criminals.' Criminal use of machine gun conversion devices is indeed an increasing problem. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said nearly 5,500 such devices were taken into custody between 2017 and 2021, a 570% increase on the previous four years. In 2022, the most recent year on record, Alabama saw 1,278 gun deaths at a rate of 25.2 per 100,000 people, the fourth-highest rate in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Everytown classes Alabama's gun safety laws as 'weak', though it commends laws passed in 2015 that 'keep guns away from domestic abusers'. Philip Ensler, a Democratic state representative from Montgomery, the state capital, campaigned for the 'Glock switch' ban. On Wednesday, he said he was 'immensely grateful that our legislation to pass a ban on devices that convert pistols into machine guns was signed into law and that it is effective immediately. With this law, we passed a state law prohibiting one of the most dangerous gun accessories that exist. 'Passing gun safety legislation – especially as a Democrat – in Alabama is not easy. But through the creation of a strong, diverse coalition that transcended party, we were able to enact this important measure. 'Today, we proved that progress can happen and that the Alabama legislature can come together to help solve real problems. May we always remember each and every person who has died from gun violence and may this legislation help save lives moving forward.'
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama House approves ban on Glock switches
Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, displays a poster board of people killed by gun violence in Birmingham in 2024 during a debate in the Alabama House of Representatives on March 6, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. The Alabama House Wednesday approved a bill making it a state crime to possess "Glock switches," or devices that turn a semi-automatic firearm into an automatic one. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) The Alabama House of Representatives Thursday approved a bill banning a firearm modification known as a 'Glock switch' that converts semi-automatic handguns into fully automatic weapons. SB 116, sponsored by Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, passed the House 77-23. The legislation, the first gun restriction to pass the Alabama House since 2010, was amended by the chamber and goes back to the Senate for concurrence or a conference committee. Possession of Glock switches is already a federal crime, but supporters of the bill say making it a state offense will allow prosecution without transfers of jurisdiction. Birmingham police say Glock switches were used in a mass shooting in Birmingham last September that killed four people and left 17 injured. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The legislation mirrors federal law. A person who owns or sells the combination of parts that create a Glock switch is guilty of a Class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $15,000 fine. The legislation does not apply to law enforcement or people that register their firearm with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. 'That just exempts anything that is already exempt under federal law,' said Rep. Phillip Ensler, D-Montgomery, who carried Barfoot's bill in the House and sponsored a Glock switch ban that passed the House last year but did not get a vote in the Senate. During debate over the measure, Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, displayed a poster with photos of victims of gun violence in Birmingham. 'Good, bad or ugly, they are still someone's child,' she said. 'I'm not coming here to discuss this issue for any other reason than I see this every day. It impacts so many that I know.' The bill is part of a broader public safety package prioritized by Gov. Kay Ivey and legislative leaders. 'We will expand Aniah's law, boost our successful Metro Area Crime Suppression Unit, ban Glock switches, and we will enhance supervision of high-risk juveniles. Working together, we will create a safer Alabama,' Ivey said in her State of the State address in February. The chamber passed a committee substitute 85-16 that would make the legislation effective immediately. 'I want to briefly thank so many for their collaboration on this. I know many have called for this for many years,' Ensler said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
