National Rifle Association

June 21, 2016

RI legislators not returning illegal campaign donations

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Despite the NRA paying a record fine for making illegal campaign donations to Rhode Island politicians, to date, not one current office holder in the state has seen fit to return the money.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) was fined by the RI Board of Elections for funneling illegal donations to RI politicians, including House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello and Senate President M Teresa Paiva-Weed. One estimate puts the total amount of contributions at over $160,000, over a 10 year period from 2004 to 2014. Due to the detective work of Sam Bell, executive director of the Rhode Island Progressive Democrats of America, the NRA was fined $63,000 and the NRA’s Rhode Island PAC was formally dissolved.

Technically, any money received by any candidate in Rhode Island that comes from the NRA Political Victory Fund PAC before January 2014 was illegal. That doesn’t mean that it’s a crime to keep the money after the fact, and it’s likely that the politicians did not know that the campaign donations were illegal before Bell made his case.

That said, the bottom line is that the money these politicians accepted from the NRA is tainted, and the influence this money has on our General Assembly can be felt acutely when observing the legislature in action.

Are you still wondering why our General Assembly can’t seem to pass common sense gun control legislation?

Between 2004 and 2014, House Speaker Nick Mattiello received $2,975 from the NRA. All these donations appear to be illegal, tainted contributions. The Speaker has kept every penny. Seventeen other representatives have also taken thousands of dollars.

Joseph McNamara is the head of the RI Democratic Party, the same party whose national platform calls for banning assault weapons and strengthening gun laws to prevent violence. McNamara accepted $700 in illegal NRA contributions over the years.

During the same 10 year period, Senate President M Teresa Paiva-Weed has accepted, and kept, what appears to be $6,075 in illegal contributions from the NRA. Seventeen other senators took illegal NRA cash, including Senate Majority Leader Domenic Ruggerio, who raked in $3350 and Senate Judiciary Chair Michael McCaffrey, whose committee handles every bill about guns that comes to the Senate, to the tune of$3500.

Rep Jan Malik, who was recently challenged by his primary opponent Jason Knight to return his illegal donations, took $1075. On the last day of the most recent legislative session, Rep Malik voted for a House bill that would have made it easier to get concealed carry permits in RI before changing his vote after the fact.

I went through the campaign finance reports available here, and carefully made a list of all incumbents who have accepted NRA money between 2004 and 2014.

Here’s the list:

In addition to Representatives and Senators, Attorney General Peter Kilmartin has accepted $1150 in illegal donations.

Attorney General KILMARTIN, PETER F   03/30/2004   $200.00
Attorney General KILMARTIN, PETER F   03/07/2006   $250.00
Attorney General KILMARTIN, PETER F   04/27/2007   $200.00
Attorney General KILMARTIN, PETER F   12/31/2009   $200.00
Attorney General KILMARTIN, PETER F   03/04/2009   $300.00

Former Speaker of the House, William Murphy, now a lobbyist, raked in a series of illegal NRA contributions. He now rakes in even more as a lobbyist for gun interests.

Lobbyist MURPHY, WILLIAM J   02/05/2004   $500.00
Lobbyist MURPHY, WILLIAM J   02/05/2004   $500.00
Lobbyist MURPHY, WILLIAM J   04/14/2006   $350.00
Lobbyist MURPHY, WILLIAM J   04/27/2007   $1,000.00
Lobbyist MURPHY, WILLIAM J   03/31/2005   $875.00
Lobbyist MURPHY, WILLIAM J   02/22/2009   $1,000.00
Lobbyist MURPHY, WILLIAM J   01/31/2008   $1,000.00

Representative   MATTIELLO, NICHOLAS   11/05/2006   $250.00
Representative   MATTIELLO, NICHOLAS   04/27/2007   $150.00
Representative   MATTIELLO, NICHOLAS   04/01/2008   $150.00
Representative   MATTIELLO, NICHOLAS   07/06/2010   $450.00
Representative   MATTIELLO, NICHOLAS   04/04/2011   $450.00
Representative   MATTIELLO, NICHOLAS   06/06/2012   $450.00
Representative   MATTIELLO, NICHOLAS   02/13/2013   $800.00
Representative   MATTIELLO, NICHOLAS   05/28/2009   $225.00

Representative   CARNEVALE, JOHN M   06/05/2010   $200.00
Representative   CARNEVALE, JOHN M   04/12/2011   $200.00
Representative   CHIPPENDALE, MICHAEL W   10/15/2012   $500.00
Representative   CORVESE, ARTHUR J   05/08/2004   $300.00
Representative   CORVESE, ARTHUR J   05/16/2005   $300.00
Representative   CORVESE, ARTHUR J   07/11/2006   $300.00
Representative   COSTA, DOREEN MARIE   10/15/2012   $500.00
Representative   DESIMONE, JOHN J   07/08/2004   $150.00
Representative   FELLELA, DEBORAH A   08/20/2006   $250.00
Representative   FELLELA, DEBORAH A   04/27/2007   $100.00
Representative   FELLELA, DEBORAH A   01/12/2010   $150.00
Representative   FELLELA, DEBORAH A   04/12/2011   $200.00
Representative   JACQUARD, ROBERT B   07/19/2004   $300.00
Representative   JACQUARD, ROBERT B   10/20/2004   $500.00
Representative   JACQUARD, ROBERT B   10/12/2006   $350.00
Representative   JACQUARD, ROBERT B   04/12/2011   $200.00
Representative   KENNEDY, BRIAN PATRICK   07/19/2004   $400.00
Representative   KENNEDY, BRIAN PATRICK   08/02/2006   $400.00
Representative   KENNEDY, BRIAN PATRICK   06/11/2009   $400.00
Representative   KENNEDY, BRIAN PATRICK   06/05/2010   $375.00
Representative   KENNEDY, BRIAN PATRICK   04/12/2011   $375.00
Representative   LIMA, CHARLENE       04/06/2004   $300.00
Representative   MACBETH, KAREN       11/01/2009   $100.00
Representative   MACBETH, KAREN       05/27/2010   $200.00
Representative   MACBETH, KAREN       12/08/2011   $200.00
Representative   MALIK, JAN       08/18/2004   $200.00
Representative   MALIK, JAN       11/19/2004   $250.00
Representative   MALIK, JAN       06/29/2005   $225.00
Representative   MALIK, JAN       09/06/2006   $300.00
Representative   MALIK, JAN       06/05/2010   $300.00
Representative   MCNAMARA, JOSEPH   05/26/2004   $200.00
Representative   MCNAMARA, JOSEPH   05/25/2005   $300.00
Representative   MCNAMARA, JOSEPH   06/16/2011   $200.00
Representative   MELO, HELIO       03/10/2010   $225.00
Representative   MELO, HELIO       04/12/2011   $200.00
Representative   NEWBERRY, BRIAN C   11/03/2006   $300.00
Representative   NEWBERRY, BRIAN C   05/29/2009   $150.00
Representative   NEWBERRY, BRIAN C   02/24/2010   $150.00
Representative   NEWBERRY, BRIAN C   06/29/2011   $200.00
Representative   NEWBERRY, BRIAN C   04/15/2013   $250.00
Representative   TRILLO, JOSEPH A   04/02/2004   $100.00
Representative   TRILLO, JOSEPH A   04/05/2004   $500.00
Representative   TRILLO, JOSEPH A   04/06/2004   $200.00
Representative   TRILLO, JOSEPH A   04/07/2004   $100.00
Representative   TRILLO, JOSEPH A   04/22/2004   $150.00
Representative   TRILLO, JOSEPH A   06/29/2005   $200.00
Representative   TRILLO, JOSEPH A   06/15/2006   $300.00
Representative   TRILLO, JOSEPH A   07/24/2007   $300.00
Representative   TRILLO, JOSEPH A   05/17/2008   $300.00
Representative   TRILLO, JOSEPH A   05/29/2009   $300.00
Representative   TRILLO, JOSEPH A   06/05/2010   $300.00
Representative   TRILLO, JOSEPH A   04/12/2011   $200.00
Representative   UCCI, STEPHEN R       11/19/2004   $500.00
Representative   UCCI, STEPHEN R       08/21/2006   $250.00
Representative   UCCI, STEPHEN R       11/02/2006   $200.00
Representative   UCCI, STEPHEN R       07/27/2007   $300.00
Representative   UCCI, STEPHEN R       06/29/2009   $200.00
Representative   UCCI, STEPHEN R       06/29/2009   $200.00
Representative   UCCI, STEPHEN R       06/25/2011   $200.00
Representative   UCCI, STEPHEN R       06/15/2010   $200.00
Representative   WINFIELD, THOMAS J   08/22/2004   $200.00
Representative   WINFIELD, THOMAS J   06/15/2006   $200.00
Representative   WINFIELD, THOMAS J   11/06/2006   $90.00
Representative   WINFIELD, THOMAS J   08/10/2007   $225.00

Senator   PAIVA WEED, M TERESA   02/24/2011   $1,000.00
Senator   PAIVA WEED, M TERESA   02/02/2012   $1,000.00
Senator   PAIVA WEED, M TERESA   08/12/2013   $800.00
Senator   PAIVA WEED, M TERESA   04/22/2004   $375.00
Senator   PAIVA WEED, M TERESA   05/14/2007   $500.00
Senator   PAIVA WEED, M TERESA   05/17/2008   $400.00
Senator   PAIVA WEED, M TERESA   02/11/2009   $1,000.00
Senator   PAIVA WEED, M TERESA   02/24/2010   $1,000.00

Senator   CICCONE III, FRANK A   07/10/2004   $150.00
Senator   CICCONE III, FRANK A   05/25/2005   $225.00
Senator   CICCONE III, FRANK A   06/21/2006   $300.00
Senator   CICCONE III, FRANK A   11/03/2006   $300.00
Senator   CICCONE III, FRANK A   05/07/2007   $300.00
Senator   CICCONE III, FRANK A   04/15/2008   $300.00
Senator   CICCONE III, FRANK A   06/03/2009   $300.00
Senator   CICCONE III, FRANK A   06/12/2010   $300.00
Senator   CICCONE III, FRANK A   06/21/2013   $400.00
Senator   COTE, MARC A       03/23/2004   $200.00
Senator   COTE, MARC A       05/16/2005   $200.00
Senator   COTE, MARC A       06/15/2006   $200.00
Senator   COTE, MARC A       04/16/2008   $200.00
Senator   COTE, MARC A       04/06/2010   $200.00
Senator   DAPONTE, DANIEL       02/24/2010   $200.00
Senator   DAPONTE, DANIEL       04/12/2011   $200.00
Senator   DOYLE II, JAMES E   06/17/2006   $150.00
Senator   DOYLE II, JAMES E   03/31/2008   $300.00
Senator   FELAG JR, WALTER S   07/04/2004   $200.00
Senator   FELAG JR, WALTER S   09/01/2006   $300.00
Senator   FELAG JR, WALTER S   06/15/2008   $300.00
Senator   FELAG JR, WALTER S   03/03/2010   $300.00
Senator   FELAG JR, WALTER S   04/12/2011   $300.00
Senator   FOGARTY, PAUL W       05/13/2004   $100.00
Senator   FOGARTY, PAUL W       07/01/2005   $150.00
Senator   FOGARTY, PAUL W       09/21/2007   $150.00
Senator   FOGARTY, PAUL W       01/10/2008   $150.00
Senator   FOGARTY, PAUL W       06/11/2009   $200.00
Senator   GALLO, HANNA M       06/01/2004   $150.00
Senator   GALLO, HANNA M       05/24/2005   $150.00
Senator   GALLO, HANNA M       05/17/2008   $150.00
Senator   GALLO, HANNA M       08/05/2009   $200.00
Senator   GALLO, HANNA M       04/28/2011   $200.00
Senator   GALLO, HANNA M       04/12/2011   $200.00
Senator   GOODWIN, MARYELLEN   08/16/2004   $150.00
Senator   GOODWIN, MARYELLEN   07/09/2010   $200.00
Senator   GOODWIN, MARYELLEN   05/13/2011   $200.00
Senator   LYNCH PRATA, ERIN P   06/08/2009   $200.00
Senator   LYNCH PRATA, ERIN P   06/10/2010   $200.00
Senator   LYNCH PRATA, ERIN P   04/12/2011   $200.00
Senator   MCCAFFREY, MICHAEL J   07/21/2004   $500.00
Senator   MCCAFFREY, MICHAEL J   07/21/2005   $750.00
Senator   MCCAFFREY, MICHAEL J   08/06/2006   $750.00
Senator   MCCAFFREY, MICHAEL J   08/07/2007   $750.00
Senator   MCCAFFREY, MICHAEL J   06/24/2008   $750.00
Senator   MCCAFFREY, MICHAEL J   06/05/2009   $750.00
Senator   MCCAFFREY, MICHAEL J   06/15/2010   $750.00
Senator   MCCAFFREY, MICHAEL J   05/20/2011   $750.00
Senator   MCCAFFREY, MICHAEL J   06/28/2013   $400.00
Senator   PICARD, ROGER A       07/19/2004   $200.00
Senator   PICARD, ROGER A       08/03/2005   $200.00
Senator   PICARD, ROGER A       05/15/2006   $250.00
Senator   PICARD, ROGER A       06/20/2009   $300.00
Senator   PICARD, ROGER A       06/12/2010   $150.00
Senator   RAPTAKIS, LEONIDAS P   05/10/2006   $300.00
Senator   RAPTAKIS, LEONIDAS P   07/24/2007   $300.00
Senator   RAPTAKIS, LEONIDAS P   06/30/2008   $300.00
Senator   RAPTAKIS, LEONIDAS P   02/26/2013   $250.00
Senator   RAPTAKIS, LEONIDAS P   07/19/2004   $300.00
Senator   RUGGERIO, DOMINICK J   05/19/2004   $300.00
Senator   RUGGERIO, DOMINICK J   05/25/2005   $300.00
Senator   RUGGERIO, DOMINICK J   05/10/2006   $300.00
Senator   RUGGERIO, DOMINICK J   04/27/2007   $300.00
Senator   RUGGERIO, DOMINICK J   05/17/2008   $300.00
Senator   RUGGERIO, DOMINICK J   02/21/2013   $500.00
Senator   RUGGERIO, DOMINICK J   05/29/2009   $300.00
Senator   RUGGERIO, DOMINICK J   02/24/2011   $450.00
Senator   RUGGERIO, DOMINICK J   02/08/2012   $500.00
Senator   SERPA, PATRICIA A   07/01/2009   $150.00
Senator   SERPA, PATRICIA A   06/05/2010   $150.00
Senator   SERPA, PATRICIA A   07/18/2011   $200.00
Senator   SERPA, PATRICIA A   03/30/2013   $250.00
Senator   SHEEHAN, JAMES C   05/04/2004   $150.00
Senator   SHEEHAN, JAMES C   07/08/2005   $150.00
Senator   SHEEHAN, JAMES C   07/24/2007   $100.00
Senator   SOSNOWSKI, V SUSAN   07/28/2004   $200.00
Senator   SOSNOWSKI, V SUSAN   10/18/2004   $100.00
Senator   SOSNOWSKI, V SUSAN   04/08/2008   $200.00
Senator   SOSNOWSKI, V SUSAN   03/02/2010   $200.00
Senator   SOSNOWSKI, V SUSAN   06/16/2011   $200.00
Senator   WALASKA, WILLIAM A   04/26/2004   $300.00
Senator   WALASKA, WILLIAM A   04/05/2005   $300.00
Senator   WALASKA, WILLIAM A   09/01/2006   $300.00
Senator   WALASKA, WILLIAM A   05/02/2007   $300.00
Senator   WALASKA, WILLIAM A   05/17/2008   $300.00
Senator   WALASKA, WILLIAM A   06/07/2009   $300.00
Senator   WALASKA, WILLIAM A   06/05/2010   $300.00
Senator   WALASKA, WILLIAM A   04/12/2011   $300.00

RI HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE   04/29/2004   $300.00
RI HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE   09/15/2005   $300.00
RI HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE   04/06/2006   $200.00

SENATE DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE 04/21/2004 $625.00
SENATE DEMOCRATS 2004 PAC 08/16/2004 $600.00

June 15, 2016June 15, 2016

Knight challenges Rep Malik to return NRA cash

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Today Jason Knight called on his opponent, Jan Malik, to turn down the NRA‘s endorsement and return any donations he’s received from the gun lobby.

“The news coming out of Orlando is beyond heartbreaking. We lost mothers, fathers, and children to this senseless violence. Their families join the thousands who are destroyed every year by gun violence. The time to act is now. We need to do something. It’s the duty of our legislators to work to ensure we have done everything possible to prevent a tragedy like this and for there to be no doubt about their motivations.

“That’s why I’m calling on my opponent to do the right thing. Turn down the NRA’s endorsement and return any donations he’s received from the gun lobby. He has happily accepted money and support from the NRA and the gun lobby for years. In fact, he currently holds an A+ rating with the NRA,” Knight continued, “But it’s time he stand up for the people of this district and join the fight for common sense measures to prevent further tragedy. We need to ensure that background checks are universal, that guns are kept out of the hands of domestic abusers, and that assault weapons like the ones used in Orlando are kept off the streets and out of our schools. I served in our military and I know that those weapons have no place in our community.”

“I will not accept a dollar from the gun lobby and I will neither seek nor accept the endorsement of the NRA. I hope my opponent will do the same.”

[From a press release]
See: Jason Knight challenges Jan Malik in District 67

March 22, 2016March 22, 2016

Common sense gun legislation once again before House Judiciary

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The State House will be a raucous, contentious place this evening as a series of bills dealing with guns will be heard in the House Judiciary meeting in room 101 at the rise of the House, around 4:30-5pm. Testimony is expected to run until late in the evening. Ahead of the testimony the 2nd Amendment Coalition, the Official National Rifle Association (NRA) Affiliate for the State of Rhode Island, is holding a rally at 3pm in the State House rotunda and they will have a parade of guest speakers.

The Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence (RICAGV) is backing three bills.

H7283 would take away guns from those convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors.

“Rhode Island law prohibits gun ownership and possession by individuals convicted of a domestic violence felony,” says the RICAGV, “This law is weaker than federal law which prohibits gun ownership and possession by those convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors. There is ample evidence that misdemeanor domestic violence offenders present an extreme risk to domestic partners when in possession of a firearm. Rhode Island should help protect the victims of domestic violence, not their abusers.”

H7243 would close a loophole that allows guns in schools and on school grounds.

“Concealed Carry Permit (CCP) holders can carry their weapons ‘everywhere’ including schools, but not in RI courthouses, airports and most government buildings,” says the RICAGV, “RI’s concealed carry law came into existence in 1990, long before Columbine and other school shootings, so schools were not exempted at that time. Currently, any CCP holder (staff, parent, visitor) can carry a firearm on school grounds including the school, surrounding property, parking lots, and after school sporting events and gatherings without knowledge of police or school officials.”

H7199, a high capacity magazine (HCM) ban, limits the number of rounds in a weapon to 10.

“Limiting HCMs to 10 rounds saves lives,” says the RICAGV, “Limiting rounds in a magazine requires that a shooter pause to change out the magazine. The shooter in Sandy Hook Elementary School killed 20 small children in less than 5 minutes with HCMs. Evidence reveals that several children escaped the schoolroom when his magazine jammed and he was forced to reload. Similarly, the shooter in the Gabby Gifford Tucson, AZ mass shooting was disarmed when he dropped his HCM clip during reloading. This enabled bystanders to subdue him saving lives.”

January 22, 2016January 22, 2016

Trio of common sense gun bills introduced in the House

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Last year, when Speaker Nicholas Mattiello brought the legislative season to an abrupt end, he said that the bills that did not come to the floor were “not very consequential” and “just not as important” as the legislation he had dealt with and passed. Among the bills that Mattiello deemed inconsequential and unimportant were three that dealt with guns.

Those three bills have just been reintroduced in the House.

H7199 criminalizes the manufacture, import, possession, purchase, sale or transfer of any ammunition feeding device capable of accepting more than ten rounds. Two years ago, when this bill was first introduced, Jerry Belair, president of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence asked the following question, “Rhode Island law limits the number of rounds to five when hunting deer. Rhode Island law limits the number of rounds to three when hunting ducks. If we can limit the number of rounds in a firearm to protect deer and ducks, how can we not limit the number of rounds to protect our children and citizens?”

H7243 provides that only peace officers and persons approved by the school authorities for the purposes of educational instruction may carry firearms or other weapons on school grounds. A similar bill was introduced last year and died in committee. Apparently the idea that someone might bring a gun into a school in Rhode Island without the knowledge of school administrators does not bother our legislature.

H7283 prohibits any person convicted of a misdemeanor offense under §12-29-2 (a crime involving domestic violence) from purchasing, owning, transporting, carrying, or possessing any firearm. A similar bill submitted last year died in committee after Frank Saccoccio of the Second Amendment Coalition successfully mischaracterized the bill as a gun grab in both the House and Senate committee meetings.

Last year a poll indicated that 80 percent of Rhode Islanders want to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, yet when it came time for action, the General Assembly, under the leadership of Speaker Mattiello deemed the bills above “not very consequential” and “just not as important.”

What has to change in Rhode Island before common sense gun legislation can be passed? Mattiello has an A+ (100 percent) rating with the National Rifle Association (NRA). Senate President M Teresa Paiva-Weed has an A (93 percent) rating from the NRA.

October 14, 2015October 16, 2015

Support the RICAGV with Jim Langevin and Teresa Tanzi

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Congressman Jim Langevin and State Representative Teresa Tanzi will be the guests at a RI Coalition Against Gun Violence (RICAGV) fundraiser Thursday evening. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is the honorary host, but is unable to attend. The event is taking place at a private residence and tickets are $50 per person. Contact RICoalitionAgainstGunViolence@gmail.com to purchase tickets and confirm the event’s address.

With the debate on guns in the United States taking a long slow turn against the intractable positions of the NRA (National Rifle Association) and towards instituting common sense gun legislation, it is only a matter of time before the RICAGV starts making real progress in the RI General Assembly.

Based on the first Democratic Party presidential debate it seems that a taste is developing for taking on the NRA with both Hilary Clinton and Martin O’Malley claiming the group as a political enemy. Even Bernie Sanders, thought to be “soft on guns” has a D- rating with the NRA and has consistently called for the kind of common sense legislation the RICAGV has been calling for in Rhode Island.

President Obama has issued an executive order and called for Congress to pass legislation that might deal with the almost daily issue of mass shootings.

State Senator M. Teresa Paiva-Weed and Speaker Nicholas Mattiello may well find that their staunch support for the NRA a political liability as the local Democratic Party moves ever further away from the values and positions of the national party.

Last year the RICAGV was stunned to find little appetite in the General Assembly to deal with guns. Bills to limit ammo clips to ten rounds, keep guns out of schools and keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers all died in committee despite overwhelming public support.

This year these bills and more must pass, or there will be big changes coming in both the make-up and leadership at the General Assembly. Become a part of this change and consider volunteering or donating to the RICAGV.

July 1, 2015

The General Assembly’s inaction on guns

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Rhode Island is one of eight states that “continues to fail at submitting records of dangerously mentally ill people who are prohibited from owning guns to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS),” says gun violence prevention group Everytown for Gun Safety, based on recently compiled FBI data.

Jack Warner, spokesman for the group, said, “Each record is critical. In fact, the Virginia Tech shooter in 2007 was able to buy his gun because his mental health records had not been submitted… RI is still among the worst-performing states.”

Due to the vast influence of the National Rifle Association (NRA) on the General Assembly in Rhode Island, no meaningful legislation has passed in this state limiting access to guns in years. Not wanting to take any meaningful action after the terrible shootings in Newtown CT, in which 20 children and six adults lost their lives to a shooter, the Rhode Island General Assembly convened a task force to deal with the issue of mental health and guns.

The report compiled by that task force, “Behavioral Health and Firearms Safety Task Force to Review, and Make Recommendations for, Statutes Relating to Firearms and Behavioral Health Issues” made a series of recommendations for legislation that might improve Rhode Island’s participation in the NCIS program, none of which were followed up on by the General Assembly this legislative session.

According to Everytown, “States that have taken steps to improve record-sharing have seen tangible results, not just in record submission, but in background check denials to dangerous people. In 2014, 342 gun sales to seriously mentally ill individuals in South Carolina were blocked by background checks, up five-fold from just four years before.”

Rhode Island has submitted only 27 reports to the NICS. To join with the best performing states Rhode Island would have to submit 8,505 records. According to Everytown, “20,400 gun background checks were conducted in Rhode Island in 2012 using this incomplete database, which fails to block gun sales to the hundreds of thousands of prohibited purchasers whose mental health records are not in the system.”

In addition to do nothing about keeping guns out of the hands of the mentally ill, the General Assembly also failed to move forward on a bill designed to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. Yet when Speaker Nicholas Mattiello brought the legislative season to an abrupt end, last week, he said that the bills that did not come to the floor were “not very consequential” and “just not as important” as the legislation he dealt with and passed.

“It is inconceivable that domestic violence could be seen as trivial or characterized as inconsequential…” said the Rev. Gene Dyszlewski, Chair of the Religious Coalition for a Violence-Free RI.

“The person who has been violent in the home has already lost the trust of his family and of most reasonable people. What more do we need? Rhode Island families deserve better. For a legislature that has accomplished so little, this could be the crowning achievement; instead it is a mark of shame.”