PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo is calling a coalition of state and community leaders to a meeting Wednesday to talk about keeping guns out of the hands of those who would use them maliciously or recklessly. The meeting is set for 4:00 p.m. at the Department of Administration building.
“Gun violence has affected too many families across our country. It’s out of control, it’s unacceptable, and it’s hurting our children and our communities,” said Gov. Raimondo in a statement ahead of the event. “Enough is enough.”
Domestic abusers are one group in the sights of the coalition. In the past, legislation has been proposed to take guns away from them.
The roundtable follows a meeting of Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza’s Advisory Council last week, also with the aim of reducing gun violence.
It also comes about the same time that — as the Providence Journal reported — Rhode Island District Court judges have submitted the names of 234 residents (as of November 20) who have been deemed a danger to either themselves or others to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).
No medical information was submitted, just basic information like name, race and gender.
Rhode Island’s gun laws are among the strongest in the nation, the Journal said. But it’s the first time that records of people deemed a concern have been sent to the screening system.
Firearms dealers must check potential buyers against the NICS system, but won’t know why a potential buyer is prohibited from purchasing a weapon. Convicted felons, immigrants living in the country illegally and those suffering from serious mental illnesses or substance-abuse problems are not permitted to buy guns.
And we're off...