GUN POLICY

TIARA SUPPORTS

  • Universal Background Checks

  • Red Flag Laws

  • An Assault Weapon Ban

  • Firearm Registration

  • Banning unsafe, low-quality junk guns

  • Allow cities to enforce stricter laws than the state

THE CURRENT SYSTEM IS BROKEN

The United States has the highest gun death rate per capita among developed countries. 36,000 Americans are killed every year by guns, or about 100 every day. And gun deaths are on the rise, with 2017 seeing almost 40,000, the highest on record. Gun violence hurts communities, and disproportionately affects people of color. It is unacceptable that people must live in fear because of the prevalence of guns in our country. In Rhode Island, many of our politicians get massive donations from the NRA, placing their own political ambitions above the lives and safety of Rhode Islanders. Tiara does not believe in taking away the guns of Rhode Islanders, but she supports placing strict regulations on who can have access to guns and which guns they can be. Because while the freedom to own a gun is an American one, the freedom to live safely is even more so.

ASSAULT WEAPON BAN

Rhode Island has no law regulating assault weapons. Under the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, these are defined as “semi automatic firearms with a large magazine of ammunition that were designed and configured for rapid fire and combat use." In simpler terms, these are weapons of war that can kill tens of people each minute. And they have no business being in this state. Most people own a gun for self-defense. However, there is nothing defensive about a gun that can shoot multiple rounds per second. Tiara supports an assault weapons ban that would prevent these guns, and any guns with large capacity magazines (10 rounds or more), from being sold in Rhode Island. This ban is proven to work country-wide.

While the Federal Assault Weapons Ban was associated with a drop in gun massacres from 1994 to 2004, since then the murders with these weapons have increased substantially. In addition, Tiara supports a law that would prevent people from buying a machine gun, 50-caliber rifle, or other military-style firearms, without a permit issued by the Rhode Island Department of Justice. Lastly, any weapons that have been grandfathered in, (previously owned before this ban takes place) would be prohibited from being transferred between people. It is already too easy for people to buy guns in this state, Tiara wants to make sure the guns people can buy are not capable of mass murder in seconds.

BULK GUN PURCHASES

Rhode Island has no regulations over bulk gun purchases. However, the buying of multiple guns at once can be an indicator of criminal intent. 25% of all handguns recovered at crime scenes were guns bought as part of a multiple sale. And handguns sold in multiple sales are 64% more likely to be used in crime than an individual handgun. There is no good reason that a person needs to buy more than one gun at a time. Tiara would like to follow the footsteps of several other states like California and New Jersey by prohibiting a person from buying more than one handgun in a 30-day period. When Virginia implemented this law, there was a reduction in the number of crime guns that could be traced back to Virginia dealers.

FIREARM REGISTRATION

There are currently 6 states and DC that require some registration of firearms. It’s time that Rhode Island becomes next. At the moment, Rhode Island law prevents the government from keeping a list of private firearms or their owners unless that person is involved in a crime. This means that there is very little accountability for gun owners in the state. Tiara supports the registration of all firearms. Our neighbor Massachusetts has a database already, which tracks the firearms in the state. This is one of the reasons that it has the lowest gun death rate in the country. 

Firearm registration is a boon for Rhode Island, as it allows law enforcement to quickly identify the owner of a crime gun. In addition, it will allow law enforcement to remove weapons from people previously prohibited from using a firearm. Rhode Island already has a licensing law, but data has shown that the combination of licensing and registration is most effective.

BANNING THE SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL

The term Saturday Night Special refers to cheap, low-quality guns. In the United States, many junk guns are not prohibited, as there are few safety standards placed on the gun industry. This is contrary to almost every other consumer product, which has strict design standards to keep people safe. It is proven that better and safer gun designs are less likely to misfire and prevent accidental deaths, which account for about 500 deaths per year. These junk guns however are not regulated in Rhode Island. In Maryland, a 1988 ban was made on these junk guns. In the years after, firearm homicides fell by 9%. And contrary to many claims that banning junk guns would only hurt law-abiding citizens and not criminals, studies show this is untrue. Tiara will push for legislation that will ban the sale of junk guns and uphold higher safety standards for guns that are being sold in this state.

GIVE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AUTHORITY

Right now, Rhode Island does not give local governments the authority to regulate firearms or ammunition. This means that our state is working at a disadvantage, as local municipalities can better fight and track gun violence. Rhode Island doesn’t have the resources to oversee all firearm business alone, but individual cities and localities do. Tiara supports the repeal of preemption laws in the state, and wants to implement a law similar to New Jersey. This law would give local governments the power to regulate in their own municipality, as long as those laws do not oppose state law. In addition, local governments should be allowed to impose even stricter gun regulations than Rhode Island if they see fit.