According to Firearm Chronicles
I’m not going to make a case for COVID-19 being a good thing. It’s a nasty disease that thousands have died from and tens of thousands more have been infected with. It’s an ugly thing that I really wish had never come to our shores.
Unfortunately, it’s here and all we can do is try to deal with it.
Part of that is to at least acknowledge that it has led to a few good things. For example, a number of gun control measures have stalled out and will likely die rather than become law, all because of COVID-19.
Some Rhode Island gun control measures seem to be set to join that club.
Wednesday gun management monthly bill hearings for the Rhode Island Home Judiciary Committee ended up cancelled more than fears that a “large crowd” of listening to attendees could lead to the distribute of the Chinese coronavirus.
WPRI studies that Rhode Island’s state’s well being director, Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, created a “strong suggestion” the hearings be postponed. In light of the predicted group of citizens, she observed that “the virus can be distribute among people [in] close contact — a lot less than 6 feet aside.” Alexander-Scott noticed, “Cancelling or suspending huge occasions is an significant device to limit the distribute in Rhode Island,” Among the the factors a massive group was envisioned at the hearing was the fact that somewhere around 17 charges dealing with guns ended up scheduled for consideration.
Of course, without those hearings, the bills can’t come up for a vote. Since it’s starting to look like it might be a long while before we get to the point when these recommendations will be in our rearview mirror, it’s also likely it won’t be until after the legislative session.
So, COVID-19 will effectively kill the gun control bills. These include an effort to define “assault weapons” and ban advertising them if they’re not “registered.” as well as measures seeking to ban incentives for teachers to get gun permits.