(4.16) The Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence will be holding a rally Thursday at the State House to bring attention to gun-control legislation being introduced this week. Hearings before the House Judiciary Committee are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday; opposing viewpoints can be expected. A press conference will be held in the rotunda following the rally. Katherine Gregg has the details in today’s Sunday ProJo. Below are the main points.
•No guns in K-12 schools: “The vast majority of states (39 plus Washington, DC) do not allow firearms on school grounds. Rhode Island is one of the few states that allows non-law enforcement concealed-carry permit holders to carry guns on school grounds. This law should be changed.” (HB5861, S0743)
•No Guns for those convicted of domestic-violence misdemeanors: “Domestic violence assaults involving a gun are 12 [times] more likely to result in death than non-firearm associated assaults. Abused women are 5 [times] more likely to be killed by their abuser if their abuser has access to a firearm.” (HB5872, S0520)
•A 10-round magazine maximum: “Larger magazines increase a gun’s firepower, enabling more shots before reloading and therefore are more lethal. CT, MA, MD, NY, and Washington DC have all limited high capacity magazines to 10 rounds; NJ limits magazines to 15 rounds, yet RI has no limit. In RI, hunters are limited to 5 rounds for deer hunting and 3 rounds for duck hunting.”
(Two primary supporters of the gun-control legislation, Providence Rep. Edith Ajello and Rep. Teresa Tanzi of South Kingston, will be holding a joint fundraiser this Wednesday at Ogie’s Trailer Park, from 6pm to 8pm. We’ll remind you of that again.)
Rally, 3pm to 4pm, Thursday, April 16, State House, 82 Smith Street