Rhode Island prohibits anyone from carrying guns on campus.
On Monday, Governor Dankey signed the Harold M. Metz School Safety Act of 2021 on Monday, which prohibits people from bringing guns into school property. The only exceptions are school security personnel, law enforcement personnel and retired law enforcement personnel.
Democratic Senate Speaker Dominique Ruggerio said in a statement that “private citizens have no right to carry guns on school property.”
“Bringing guns in school increases risk, not safety,” Rugelio added. “There are dozens of incidents of mishandling of guns and accidental shooting in schools in our country. We are working hard to improve education in our state. The presence of guns in schools is not conducive to a positive learning environment.”
According to the Giffords Law Center, the national gun control advocacy organization, Rhode Island is one of six states that does not have laws prohibiting persons with concealed carrying permits from bringing guns into school property. Hawaii, Kansas, New Hampshire, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming still allow hidden exceptions in schools.
In 2018, the Rhode Island Board of Education issued a directive prohibiting anyone from carrying all firearms, including concealed firearms, in all public school buildings and venues, except for clearly-identified active duty law enforcement officers.
The law signed by McGee on Monday codified the ban and extended it to public and private K-12 schools and buses.
Anyone who violates the law will face 1 to 5 years in prison, or a fine of 500 to 5,000 U.S. dollars.
National Rifle Association (National Rifle Association) Had previously criticized the bill as an “attack” against the concealed carrying of school property.
The NRA’s lobbying department said in a statement last month: “This bill is actually equivalent to requiring your gun to be left unattended in the parking lot.” “The existing school carrying law has been no problem for decades. Legislation is to find solutions to problems.”
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McGee signed the second gun control bill on Monday, banning the “straw purchase” of guns.
The legislation stipulates that it is illegal for people who own guns to buy guns on behalf of the law and sell or transfer guns to people who cannot own them.
“We must do everything we can to end gun violence and make our communities safer,” McGee said in a statement. “These legislation will keep guns away from dangerous criminals and keep them away from school property, thus having an impact.”
The day before the governor signed the gun reform legislation, a 20-year-old man was shot and killed in Providence. This is the 12th homicide in the state this year.
