A proposed bill in the Rhode Island general assembly would ban the possession of particular military-style semiautomatic guns. The bill, introduced on Feb. 27, adds to legislation from last year that banned the manufacture, sale, transfer and purchase of prohibited firearms.
State Sen. Tiara Mack ’16 (D-Providence), the primary sponsor of the bill in the Senate, told The Herald that the Dec. 13 mass shooting at Brown and the Feb. 16 mass shooting in Pawtucket spurred a greater legislative push for stricter gun control across the state, though she noted that neither of these cases involved the use of assault weapons.
Mack said she believes the 2025 legislation was not “as strong as it could have been.”
“I don’t think last year we had the political appetite to fight back against the small minority of legislators that are prioritizing guns over people,” Mack said.
Mack explained that because the U.S. Constitution prevents unlawful seizure of private property, people who currently possess these weapons would potentially be “grandfathered in” and allowed to keep them.
The bill outlines two other exceptions who are allowed to possess the prohibited weapons: federally licensed firearm dealers and law enforcement agencies. These groups may also transfer and sell the weapons to other lawful possessors.
In order to finalize the bill’s details, Mack said legislators can look towards other models for possession bans. Currently, about ten U.S. states — including two of Rhode Island’s closest neighbors, Massachusetts and Connecticut — and several other countries have already implemented similar bans.
“Although Rhode Island is recognized as among the safest states in the country, we believe one bullet causing injury or death is too many,” Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence Board Chair Ariana Wohl MAT ’05 wrote in an email to The Herald. “The destructive ripple effects of any incident of gun violence are broad and insidious.”
But others view this proposal as a case of government overreach. State Sen. Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz (R-North Smithfield, Burrillville, Glocester) described the proposed possession ban as unconstitutional, expressing confidence that the Supreme Court will overturn assault weapon bans in the coming years.
“Even some of my Democrat colleagues who consider themselves pro-gun control believe this proposal goes too far,” de la Cruz wrote. Instead, she argued that we should “enforce the laws we already have in place to deal with gun violence.”
Mack emphasized that “if amendments are proposed that strengthen the bill and address constitutional concerns, I am more than willing to make them. Until the “public health crisis guns have caused” in the United States is addressed, she added that she “will not consider this issue handled.”
Outside of legislation, Wohl encouraged the secure storage of firearms as an action that would reduce suicide by firearm — which makes up the majority of gun deaths — and violence from stolen weapons. She also added that increased education could also help reduce gun violence.
Mack expressed cautious hope for the future of the bill.
“I’m always optimistic, but I also understand the history of this country and of the gun violence prevention community,” she said. “It has consistently been an uphill battle.”
