I am reaching out with some very troubling news.
The so-called “Assault Weapons” ban which we defeated in the House this year has returned in the Senate.
And Rhode Island’s Senate Judiciary Committee is preparing for a hearing on Wednesday, May 14th that will include SB 359 and other gun control bills.
Similar to our situation earlier in the year, we’ll need all hands on deck to stop these bills dead in their tracks.
We need you to hit the phonelines immediately to DEMAND the following bills are tabled so we can finally put an end to this anti-gun madness:
SB 359 – A second iteration of the “assault weapons” ban that we have been fighting against all year. This bill would ban some of the most commonly owned firearms in Rhode Island.
SB 286 – Prohibits the purchase of more than one firearm in any 30 day period. A right delayed is a right denied.
SB 530 – This act would prevent an individual who has been convicted of a misdemeanor offense hate crime from purchasing, owning, carrying, transporting or having in his or her possession any firearm.
While SB 530 may not seem like a “big deal”, GOA has opposed similar versions of this legislation before at the federal level.
As quoted from our alert in 2019, H.R. 2708, a Federal “hate crime” bill would have imposed a lifetime gun ban on gun owners for non-violent actions — primarily because they held views Democrats don’t like. As stated by GOA’s Legislative Counsel:
Recently, at the Mall of New Hampshire, a man loitered in a women’s rest room for an hour — taking pictures of women in stalls.
If a woman threatened to remove him — and he claimed to be “a woman in the body of a man” as this person did here — that would be a “hate crime.”
Another example from H.R. 2708 included a gun ban for referring to someone as an “illegal alien” in New York City. Rhode Island’s version of SB 530 is no different, and anti-gunners shouldn’t be given the opportunity to disarm non-violent gun owners just for committing “wrong think”.
The final bill to oppose during the Senate’s Judiciary Committee meeting is SB 740, which allows individuals to voluntarily add themselves to a watchlist that would restrict their right to purchase or possess a firearm.
Stopping these bills is a massive priority, and GOA is asking that you pick up the phone and call your Senators to STOP their advance.
When speaking to a Representative or their staff, you can say something like this:
“Hello, my name is [NAME] and I’m from [TOWN/CITY]. I’m a member of Gun Owners of America and a Rhode Island voter. I encourage you to vote NO on SB 359, SB 286, SB 530, and SB 740. These gun control proposals infringe on my rights outlined in the U.S. and Rhode Island Constitutions. I expect you to vote against these bills, and other future gun control bills when they come up in Committee on May 14th. Gun Owners of America will keep me informed of how you vote.”
The list of members on the Rhode Island Senate Judiciary Committee can be seen here:
Senator Matthew L. LaMountain – (401) 206-0822
Senator Mark McKenney – (401) 578-6258
Senator Jacob E. Bissaillon – (401) 442-6973
Senator John P. Burke – (401) 374-4721
Senator Andrew R. Dimitri – (401) 276-5563
Senator Dawn Euer – (401) 276-5561
Senator Thomas J. Paolino – (401) 222-2708
Senator Todd M. Patalano – (401) 276-5592
Senator Ana B. Quezada – (401) 255-0345
Senator Leonidas P. Raptakis – (401) 276-5567
Reach out to your legislators immediately using the form above and demand that they OPPOSE the anti-gun bills!
