Sign a Petition to Reduce Gun Violence in Rhode Island

These petitions will be delivered to The R.I. General Assembly and Governor Gina Raimondo

Safe Schools Act

The text of our petition reads as follows:

Rhode Island state law allows concealed carry permit holders to be armed on school grounds without the knowledge of school officials or the police; this includes any school function, classroom, parent-teacher conference or sporting event.

The R.I. Police Chief’s Association supports legislation that would allow ONLY trained police and peace officers to be armed on school grounds, due to the extreme risks inherent in hostage and high-stress “shoot/don’t shoot” situations.

R.I concealed carry permit holders DO NOT receive specialized training and ARE NOT subject to yearly retesting.

83% of Rhode Island voters support restricting guns on school grounds, according to a 2016 public opinion poll conducted by former New York Times poll analyst Louis DiNatale.

Additional support for this common-sense regulation includes:

  • R.I. School Superintendents Association
  • R.I. Association of School Principals
  • R.I. Association of School Committees

The “Good Guy with a Gun” myth has been debunked by recent academic research from Stanford University. A study reported on The Violence Policy Center website also disproves the idea that having a concealed carry permit makes a person a “good guy.” In addition, there have been dozens of “accidental shootings” on school grounds and college campuses around the country by concealed carry permit holders.

Guns are prohibited at the State House and other sensitive buildings, and the vast majority of states prohibit guns in schools except by police and peace officers.

We respectfully request that you show our children that you are doing all you can to keep them safe in school by bringing this common sense legislation to the floor of both the RI House and Senate for a vote.

Ban Assault Weapons

The text of our petition reads as follows:

Military-style assault weapons, like the AR-15, are made for one purpose – to kill as many people as possible in a short amount of time. These are weapons of war and have no place in civilian hands. America has seen assault weapons kill 14 people in San Bernardino, 49 in Orlando, 58 in Las Vegas, 26 in Sutherland, Texas, and now 17 in Parkland, Florida. Rhode Islanders have had enough, and want assault weapons banned in our state. By making it more difficult for civilians to obtain assault weapons, the likelihood of more slaughter of innocents by military weapons can be reduced. We support the Rhode Island Assault Weapons Ban.

Ban High Capacity Magazines

The text of our petition reads as follows:

High capacity magazines have become standard equipment for mass shooters, as seen most recently in Las Vegas, as well as:

  • Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland
  • The Pulse nightclub in Orlando
  • The holiday party in San Bernardino
  • Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown

In addition, “mass shootings” which involve the death or injury of 3 or more people by a single shooter occur on an average of once per day.

Rhode Island state law currently limits the number of rounds for hunting very strictly:

  • 5 rounds for deer hunting
  • 3 rounds for duck hunting
  • NO LIMIT on the number of rounds for hand guns or rifles not used for hunting

R.I. is out of step with neighboring states and other like-minded states that ban these weapons:

  • Massachusetts
  • Connecticut
  • New York
  • New Jersey
  • Maryland
  • California
  • Hawaii
  • D.C.
  • Colorado

We respectfully request that this legislation be brought to the floor of both the R.I. House and Senate for a vote, to show our citizens as well as our police officers that we are doing all we can to keep our communities safe through common-sense gun regulation.

Please note, donations made online through our website are not tax deductible.