Public Safety

This legislation establishes restrictions on the manufacture, sale, transfer, and purchase of certain semiautomatic firearms defined as assault weapons under state law. The bill outlines specific firearm features subject to regulation, includes exemptions for certain entities such as law enforcement, and allows continued possession of legally owned firearms under limited conditions.

Sen. McKenney supported legislation sponsored by Sen. Lauria that requires the safe storage of firearms and imposes civil and criminal penalties for violations of the law. The proposed legislation also adds rifles and shotguns to the types of firearms requiring a trigger lock to be included with purchase. 

This legislation proposed a ban on possession, sale, and transfer of assault weapons. Possession of assault weapons owned on the effective date of the act would be "grandfathered". Violations of the law would be punishable by a fine or imprisonment. The legislation is currently being held in committee for further study. 

This legislation would prohibit the operation of privately run, for profit correctional or detention facilities in Rhode Island. The criminal justice process should be aimed at rehabilitation, and reintegration under the guidance of the state rather than private entities operating as moneymaking endeavors. 

Sen. McKenney supported the passage of legislation whiched imposed a ban on 3D printed and ghost guns. Bill sponor Sen. Coyne (D-32) stated that “Ghost guns, 3-D printed guns and undetectable plastic guns can easily facilitate criminal activity because they totally bypass the safeguards that protect the public. Our state laws should be very clear that possessing, creating or selling them is a criminal act, and we should be doing everything we can to keep these dangerous weapons from proliferating here.”