Rhode Island lawmakers pass bill to ban assault weapons sales

The Rhode Island House of Representatives passed legislation on Friday to ban the sale and manufacture of semi-automatic rifles commonly known as assault weapons.

The legislation applies only to the sale and manufacture of assault weapons, without affecting their possession. According to the Associated Press, Washington is currently the only other state with similar regulations.

In addition, citizens won’t be able to obtain such weapons in nearby states like New Hampshire. Federal law prohibits purchasing firearms in another state and bringing them into a state where they are banned.

The bill now heads to the desk of Democratic Governor Dan McKee, who has said he plans to sign it. With this move, Rhode Island would join 10 other states that have enacted some form of ban on high-powered firearms, which were once banned nationwide.

"I’m proud that Rhode Island took an important step forward in protecting our communities from gun violence. I included an assault weapons ban in my budget for this very reason — and as a result, tonight we saw progress," the governor posted on X after the bill’s passage.

Meanwhile, Republicans opposed the measure, arguing that it fails to target criminals and instead penalizes law-abiding gun owners:

"This bill doesn’t go after criminals, it just puts the burden on law-abiding citizens," said Republican Sen. Thomas Paolino.