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Friday, June 23, 2017

Who would oppose taking guns away from wife-beaters and domestic abusers? Why, our area village idiots, of course.

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.

The bill was significantly altered before passage. A lifetime ban on the possession of guns was reduced to five years, for instance, but advocates were able to accept the changes.

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