A bill introduced in the R. I. House of Representatives Feb. 14 would require the state’s gun owners register their firearms with a state licensing authority and pay a $100 registration fee per gun.
Gun owners who fail to register their firearms could face up to three years in prison or a $3,000 fine if the legislation is passed. The legislation was referred to the House Judiciary Committee for review.
Rep. Linda Finn, D-Middletown, Portsmouth, Rep. Edith Ajello, D-Providence, Rep. Maria Cimini, D-Providence and Rep. Christopher Blazejewski, D-Providence, are sponsoring the bill in an effort to create a system for electronically registering guns and hold people accountable for their firearms, Finn said.
“In states like California and Massachusetts, there is currently a system of documenting firearms, but in Rhode Island, nothing like this exists,” Finn said.
The system would provide local law enforcement with basic information about gun owners, she said, adding that she hopes it will discourage people from illegally selling or loaning their guns. The database could assist police officers in confiscating a firearm from a gun owner who has been arrested for a crime, Finn said.
Over 150 protesters rallied at the State House Feb. 28 in opposition to the bill.
Rep. Doreen Costa, R-North Kingstown, Exeter, who is leading the opposition in the House, said she believes the bill is “the worst piece of legislation” that has been introduced in the General Assembly during her two years as a representative.
The legislation is simply a “knee-jerk reaction” to the December shooting in Newtown, Conn., she said, adding that it will not foster any significant reduction of gun violence in Rhode Island.
Costa said failure to pay the registration fee can turn “law-abiding citizens into criminals.” One of her constituents, she said, owns 87 firearms and finds the potential $8,700 fee impossible to pay.
This bill could actually lead to greater illegal gun ownership by residents unable to pay the fee who will bypass registration, Costa said.
The extra $100 takes money out of citizens’ pockets and could be better allocated elsewhere, such as toward buying firearm safety devices, she said.
Finn said she could see that the fee might be set too high, adding that the Massachusetts fee is only $20.
But the importance of this bill is its role in fostering dialogue about gun regulations in the state, she said.
In light of recent gun-related tragedies, Finn said the state needs “to begin thinking about who has access to guns in our society.”
Costa said the current process for purchasing firearms in Rhode Island is effective. Residents are limited to three firearms in one transaction and must complete an extensive paperwork process and background check and wait 10 days.
“You can’t just go buy a gun and throw it in your purse,” she said.
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