RI State Report: Guns, Early Bird Liquor + Chafee’s Image Problem
Saturday, April 13, 2013
This week’s State Report centers on a new gun safety legislation package, which was unveiled by lawmakers on Tuesday. Consisting of nine bills, the legislation would ban the sale of semi-automatic assault weapons and high capacity magazines. Keeping in line with safety legislation, we’ll also look at the Senate’s passage of an important school emergency drill bill.
Also on the docket this week are a pair of proposals, one of which looks to strengthen anti-graffiti laws, and another that would allow state liquor sales to begin on 10 a.m. on Sundays.
Lastly, Gov. Chafee has earned the top spot on a list that no governor wants to be a part of. Keep reading to learn about Chafee’s dubious honor.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTLawmakers unveil comprehensive gun safety legislation
With the recent Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in mind, Gov. Lincoln Chafee, Attorney General Peter Kilmartin and state lawmakers have unveiled a 9-bill gun safety package.
“The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School sounded a wake-up call for all of us,” said House Speaker Gordon Fox. “For the last several months, we have been reviewing our firearms laws and our mental health procedures. The package will give law enforcement the tools they need to address gun-related criminal activity and better identify individuals who are a danger to themselves or others.”
The proposed legislation looks to ban the sale of semi-automatic assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Additionally, the measure would increase penalties for an array of gun crimes; require all handgun permits to be authorized by the Attorney General’s office; create a task force to review gun laws and the use of mental health records in background checks; and increase penalties for failing to report a lost or stolen firearm.
“This is the beginning of an important conversation taking place in every state in the nation and at the federal level,” said Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed. “We took a very methodical approach in the development of this legislation. I look forward to a vigorous public dialogue and a thorough committee vetting of the ideas presented today.”
Rhode Island currently has the eighth strictest gun laws in the nation, according to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
Senate approves school emergency drill legislation
On Friday, the Senate approved the first of three bills introduced last week, which aims to improve school safety throughout Rhode Island.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Louis DiPalma requires that the state fire drill laws be aligned with national standards established by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). According to the legislation, all schools from elementary through high school must conduct monthly fire drills, plus an additional drill within the first 30 days of the school year, two evacuation and two lockdown drills.
“It’s extremely important that all students know how to react if there is an emergency in school, said DiPalma. “We want to remove any lack of clarity in our laws so all principals know what the state expects of them in terms of drills. Adopting the national standard is a way we can feel confident that we’re giving students and staff adequate preparation for emergencies.”
Current law requires schools to carry out 15 emergency drills per school year, but does not specify when they should be conducted. The new legislation would keep procedures fresh in the students’ minds and increase preparedness, said DiPalma.
The three-bill school safety package also includes legislation requiring that all schools perform school safety assessments, which must be certified as up to date by the state’s Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Senate introduces anti-graffiti bill
Senate Majority Whip Maryellen Goodwin has introduced legislation that aims to crack down on graffiti by increasing penalties for perpetrators.
“Graffiti is a serious crime that causes damage to property and costs owners hundreds or thousands of dollars to repair,” said Goodwin. “Often it can’t really be fully repaired at all. But worse, it makes neighborhoods look run-down and uncared for, sending a message to others that it won’t matter if they decide to add more graffiti, litter or blight to the area. Graffiti has a significant indirect effect on the quality of life in addition to the direct physical damage it causes, so it really should be handled seriously.”
The bill would make graffiti a felony if it causes more than $1,000 in property damage; regardless of it’s private, public or commercial. The new legislation would also eliminate a current law that gives first-time offenders lesser penalties. Under the bill, repeat and first-time offenders would be subject to the same fine of up to $1,000 and 200 hours of community service.
Goodwin’s proposal would increase penalties if the graffiti is located near and underpass or overpass, because the removal process would disrupt traffic. The bill would allow the court to fine vandals an additional $1,000 to pay for the extra traffic detail.
The bill also increases penalties for minors found guilty of vandalism. Under the legislation, the court could order the child to write a letter of apology to the victim; order them to pay restitution through payment, repairs, service or performance; or hold the child’s guardian accountable for the damage.
In November, Goodwin announced a partnership with Coca Cola Refreshments to clean up graffiti around the Smith Hill neighborhood in Providence. Goodwin also met with Providence Police, who have been working to make more graffiti vandalism arrests.
Senate bill would allow 10 a.m. liquor sales on Sunday
In effort to boost the economy and compete with neighboring states, Sen. Paul W. Fogarty has introduced legislation that would allow Rhode Island liquor stores to open two hours earlier on Sundays.
Senator Fogarty, whose district borders both Connecticut and Massachusetts, said he introduced the bill to prevent Rhode Island liquor stores, particularly those near the border, from losing business to others states between 10 a.m. and noon.
“It’s very frustrating for small business owners in border towns to try to compete with stores a just a couple of miles away that can be open at hours when Rhode Island stores are ordered to be closed,” said Fogarty. “As far as the state itself is concerned, there’s no real reason it has to be noon in Rhode Island. That’s arbitrary. But it makes a difference to the liquor store owner who is losing sales during that time. We should give our small businesses the support they need and change this law.”
Fogarty’s bill is now before the Senate Committee on Special Legislation and Veterans’’ Affairs. The legislation has received bi-partisan support.
Gov. Chafee most unpopular governor up for re-election
Gov. Lincoln Chafee has just landed atop a list that no governor wants to be apart of. Chafee is the most unpopular governor in the United States up for re-election, according to a study published by The New York Times’ FiveThirtyEight blog, which is devoted to analyzing politics, culture and public affairs through statistical means.
The study found that only 28 percent of Rhode Island voters approve of Chafee’s job performance, while 68 percent disapprove, giving the Independent governor a net approval rating negative 40 percentage points. By comparison, the next most-unpopular governor is Democrat Pat Quinn of Illinois with a net approval rating of negative 24.
Not surprisingly, FiveThirtyEight suggests that Chafee’s unpopularity stems from Rhode Island’s struggling economy and 9.8 percent unemployment rate. While reports suggest that the Independent governor is considering becoming a Democrat, the blog argues that the move might not help Chafee’s re-election hopes.
At the opposite end of the spectrum is Republic Governor Matt Mead of Wyoming, who possesses a net job approval rating of positive 66. The list is comprised of 25 governors, including 17 Republicans, 7 Democrats and 1 Independent. The survey is based on three sources: TalkingPointsMemo.com, PollingReports.com and Wikipedia.com.
Chafee announced on Tuesday that he still plans to run for re-election.
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