By Steve Ahlquist in Rhode Island's Future
“As a volunteer leader for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense In America,
I am very pleased to see Rep Tanzi’s bill that takes guns away from dangerous
domestic abusers pass out of committee in the RI House of Representatives,”
said Jennifer Boylan,
“Over the last 3 years, there has been undeniable support and
need for this bill. Advocates, law enforcement, and policy experts all
supported it. The momentum around the bill in the capitol is strong, and I am
very pleased to see that the House
Judiciary Committee did
the right thing for survivors and victims of domestic abuse.”
The House Judiciary Committee last night voted to send
Representative Teresa Tanzi (Democrat, District 34, Narragansett,
South Kingstown)’s bill to take guns out of the hands of domestic abusers to
the floor for a full vote by the Rhode Island House of Representatives.
 |
| Rep. Justin Price (R-Richmond) who thinks "Gun Control Does Not Work." But has this country ever actually TRIED to control guns? |
This is the first substantial piece of gun legislation to pass
out of committee since the tragedy at Sandy
Hook Elementary School in
neighboring Connecticut and a major victory for advocates of
gun control in the state.
Only five representatives, Cale Keable (D) and four Republicans, Sherry Roberts, Justin Price, Patricia Morgan and Blake Filippi voted
against the measure. Keable is the chair of the committee and the only Democrat
to oppose the bill.
EDITOR’S
NOTE: Charlestown was responsible for the election of Blake “Flip” Filippi who
is now a resident of Charlestown after being sued by his mother for allegedly
cheating him on investments (Details: click HERE and HERE). Filippi is an avowed Libertarian as well as
Republican, though he was willing to set aside his so-called free market principles
in an effort to ban
Uber and Lyft from Block Island.
Richmond
voter are responsible for electing Justin Price to the House. Price is probably
the most radical right-wingnut in the General Assembly, believing in guns for
all but no anti-cancer vaccine for children, the “Chem-Trails” conspiracy that
contends the United Nations is spreading mind-controlling chemicals through the
contrails of high-flying jets an loves anti-government armed militia groups.
So of
course these two think it’s wrong to try to keep guns out of the hands of men
most likely to use them on their wives, girlfriends and children. – Will Collette.
In the video below legal counsel to
the committee explains the changes in the legislation in painstaking detail:
After
45 minutes of discussion, the vote went by so fast most people were unsure of
who voted and how.
Perhaps
the most controversial aspect of the bill, from the point of view of gun rights
advocates, was what Representative Filippi called the “civil restraining order”
which would mandate that guns be given up by perpetrators of domestic
violence.
“I don’t know what other constitutional rights… can be taken
away from you by the preponderance of the evidence standard with no discretion
by the court?” asked Filippi.
Attempts to answer the question by Representatives Jason Knight
and Carol Hagan McEntee did not seem to satisfy Filippi.
Below
are all the comments made by all the Representatives ahead of the committee
vote.
Priorities
Steve Ahlquist is an award-winning journalist,
writer, artist and founding member of the Humanists of Rhode Island, a
non-profit group dedicated to reason, compassion, optimism, courage and action.
The views expressed are his own and not necessarily those of any organization
of which he is a member. atomicsteve@gmail.com
and Twitter: @SteveAhlquist