Shekarchi and Ruggerio Block Ban on Assault Rifles, Post Some Gun Safety Bills

Shekarchi and Ruggerio Block Ban on Assault Rifles, Post Some Gun Safety Bills

Despite President Joe Biden, Governor Dan McKee and Democratic candidate for governor Helena Foulkes’ pleas to ban assault rifles, Speaker of the House Joe Shekarchi and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio are blocking a ban.

Assault rifles were used in two of the highest-profile mass shootings in recent weeks in the United States.

The 18-year-old gunmen who killed 10 people in Buffalo, NY, and 19 4th graders and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas in the past three weeks both used assault rifles.

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Less than two weeks ago, President Joe Biden addressed the nation on the Texas elementary school mass shooting and called for renewed restrictions on assault weapons.

"To lose a child is like having a piece of your soul ripped away. There's a hollowness in your chest, you feel like you're being sucked into it," Biden said. "And it's never quite the same."

That same week, Democratic gubernatorial candidates Foulkes and McKee called on Shekarchi and Senate Ruggerio to immediately take action in the wake of the shooting in Texas. 

Foulkes said in a statement, “Governor McKee says he supports gun safety legislation—it’s time for him to prove it. He should bring together legislative leaders today and demand action on gun reform. There is no excuse for the fact that Rhode Island has still not banned assault weapons and high capacity magazines. Getting this done requires real leadership, not lip service.”

McKee is a statement said he strongly supports the legislation, “That's why I joined Rhode Island's General Officers in submitting legislation this session to ban high-capacity magazines and assault weapons. It's time for the General Assembly to act immediately and pass those common-sense gun safety bills and send them to my desk for signature – it is time."

Some gun safety bills have been posted for Thursday, but not the ban on assault rifles. 

The bills posted for House Judiciary Committee on Thursday are:

- A ban on high-capacity magazines containing more than 10 rounds of ammunition. 

- Raise the age from 18 to 21 for lawful sale of firearms or ammunition.

- And, a bill that would restrict carrying a shotgun or rifle in public.

"The Speaker supports the three bills that are posted for consideration by the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday," said his office in a statement.

Shekarchi’s office refused to respond to questions about why the assault rifle ban is being blocked.

And, Ruggerio’s office said in an email, “The Senate President supports the bills that are posted, which includes a magazine capacity cap.”

Both top officials refused to answer questions about blocking the assault rifle ban.

A detailed examination conducted by the New York Times of the recent mass shootings identified that there is no one law that would have impacted all of the mass shootings, but also found that banning assault rifles would have had an impact on many of the most deadly shootings.

“There’s no such thing as a perfect, 100 percent effective policy or suite of policies,” said Garen Wintemute, the director of the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California at Davis told the Times. “But there is a chance to make a real difference.”

UPDATED: June 7, 2022 at 7:29 PM