Democratic Efforts to Repeal Grandfather Clause on AR-15s in Rhode Island

On Wednesday, Democratic Rep. Teresa Tanzi from Rhode Island voiced her support for plans to eliminate the grandfather clause related to the state’s “assault weapons” ban. This proposal aims to compel AR-15 owners to part with their rifles through the use of state powers.

Reports indicated that Democrats in the Rhode Island legislature were making moves to scrap the grandfather clause established last year, which had allowed owners of newly prohibited firearms to keep their weapons. Now, there are attempts to update the ban by potentially introducing prison sentences for possessing an AR-15. This initiative is being pushed under the legislation known as H8073.

Tanzi expressed her backing for H8073, stating, “Last year, we took significant steps as an organization to ban the sale, manufacturing, and transferring of certain ‘assault weapons’ as identified in the Act. While this was a meaningful measure, it didn’t cover everything. We have to acknowledge that.”

She elaborated further, noting, “Our current laws set arbitrary boundaries. We deemed these firearms too dangerous for the market, yet we allow them to remain in circulation indefinitely. If these weapons are too risky to sell in Rhode Island, we should have also tackled the issue of possession. We didn’t, and this bill [H8073] aims to correct that.”

Tanzi clarified that H8073 would require existing AR-15 owners to either legally sell or transfer their firearms to comply with the law.

However, she also acknowledged concerns regarding the Fifth Amendment’s Take Clause, which protects against property seizure without just compensation. Tanzi rebutted that the situation in Rhode Island doesn’t constitute “taking property for public use,” but rather involves “exercising police powers.”

According to reports, should H8073 become law, it may impose penalties of up to 10 years in prison for those AR-15 owners who refuse to adhere to this mandated destruction of their rifles.