Rhode Island Democrats are pushing legislation that would sentence state residents up to ten years in prison for possessing an AR-15.
Breitbart News previously noted that Democrats in Rhode Island’s state legislature were trying to remove the grandfather clause that was contained in the “assault weapons” ban passed last year.
The grandfather clause allowed those who owned prohibited firearms to retain possession of them. But now, they are pushing to remove the grandfathered aspect of the ban and implement a prison sentence for merely possessing an AR-15. The legislation through which they are attempting this is H8073.
The text of H8073 makes clear, “No person shall manufacture, sell, offer to sell, transfer, possess, or purchase a prohibited firearm, except as otherwise authorized under this section. Any person convicted of violating this subsection shall be punished by imprisonment of not more than ten (10) years, or by a fine up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000), and the prohibited firearm shall be subject to forfeiture.”
Think about it: A prison sentence of up to ten years, a fine that may be as high as $10,000, and the individual’s rifle is taken away as well.
The National Association for Gun Rights observed, “If you thought it would stop at sales, you weren’t paying attention. What started as a ban on sales has now become a push to outlaw possession. Rhode Island’s H8073 would force owners to surrender their firearms or face felony charges. No grandfather clause, no exceptions, just confiscation.”
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and the director of global marketing for Lone Star Hunts. He holds a PhD in Military History with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. He enjoys reading Philosophy and novels by Jack Carr and Nelson DeMille. Follow him on X: @awrhawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.