More than 400 people packed into Rhode Island’s State House on Tuesday to debate more than a dozen gun-related bills. In attendance for the House Judiciary Committee hearing were representatives from the Rhode Island 2nd Amendment Coalition and the Bradford Sportsmen’s Club in Charlestown. Also on hand were members of the anti-gun Bloomberg group, Moms Demand Action’s Rhode Island chapter.
Pro-gun bills discussed included proposals to allow for the automatic renewal of a gun permit or license, and concealed-carry license reciprocity for neighboring states such as Massachusetts and Connecticut.
On the gun-control side, measures ranged from banning concealed-carry permit holders from carrying guns on school grounds and banning magazines that hold 10-plus rounds of ammunition, to preventing those convicted of domestic violence offenses from owning or buying guns. “All of these things are just disguised as efforts to promote safety,” noted Michael Salvadore, president of the Bradford club.
