Representative Teresa
Tanzi, D-Narragansett, South Kingstown, was the lead sponsor of a domestic
violence/gun control bill in this year’s General Assembly. She told me about domestic violence and her hopes of the bill becoming law now that Speaker Mattiello has signaled an end to the current stand-off, with an indication that the House will meet again in September. (RIPR reports the General Assembly will reconvene on September 19 and that this bill is one of the top issues that will get a vote).
When you were first elected,
what did you make of the House of Representatives in relation to domestic
violence issues?
“The first domestic
violence bill I remember voting on related to strangulation and whether or not
it should be brought up to a felony. The debate on the floor was challenging
and I felt I had to speak out, but there are still a lot of attitudes, to this
day, that consider it a private matter.”
Domestic violence is about
control?
“It is 100 per cent
about power and control in relationships. It starts off perhaps very
innocuously perhaps at first, behaviors increase over time and it is not just
physical but mental and emotional abuse, cutting people off not only from money
but also from family. It destroys a person’s perception of themselves. These
are cruel crimes.”
“There is no way we
could have got this done without the domestic violence coalition and the Rhode
Island coalition against gun violence. To have the support of Everytown and
Moms Demand Action was critical. They kept working across the board and it educated
me – what they brought to the table. They amplified what I was able to do in
outreach. As constituents of my fellow representatives it meant reps met people
who have experienced domestic violence.”
“Another thing made me
dig deeper into my reserves is the data; the majority of mass shootings are
committed by someone who has a history of domestic violence and most women are
killed by instances of domestic violence. Knowing these two things made
it all the more imperative for us to pass this. It makes no sense to leave
abusers armed. These are individuals who have made it their daily quest to
control another individual, inflict fear on that person and the implications
are not just for that person, it is for their children and for individuals who
happen to be standing next to them when the abuser decides to kill them.”
Have other states passed
similar bills?
“Nearly half of the
other States have passed similar legislation and it is not just liberal leaning
blue States but places like Texas, North Dakota.”
“It is worth noting
that the Federal Government already prohibits domestic abusers from possessing
firearms, so once someone is convicted in Rhode Island they are not able to
purchase a new firearm. There is such a disconnect, someone can be federally prohibited
but Rhode Island cannot remove guns from the home.”
And you are confident that the
House will be recalled and the bill passed?
“I am 100% confident
that this is going to pass. I met with the Speaker (last week) – he is
committed to make sure this bill crosses the line. I think it is important we
come back and finish this session out as I would hate to have a tragedy to
happen between now and then because of our failure to act on this, but I feel
confident that this is a top priority for house leadership and the senate to
get this pass so I am very optimistic.”
Steve Rackett held elected office as a Green Party
representative on a district council in Watford, England (just north of
London). He won 3 terms in office as well as winning a term on Hertfordshire
County Council. He chaired various council committees and eventually became the
first Green Party member to become Chairman of the council. He has worked for
various non-profits throughout his career and has a strong interest in politics
in Rhode Island. twitter.com/Spring_is_ours and www.facebook.com/steve.rackett.writes