The House Judiciary Committee is expected to vote Wednesday on a bill that would require anyone under a restraining order to surrender his or her firearms.
Gun control advocates see this as their best chance to impose more stringent gun restrictions during the current legislative session.
The Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence argues the bill, sponsored by South Kingstown Democratic Rep. Teresa Tanzi, would make Rhode Island safer. The legislation would bar those convicted of domestic violence from possessing guns. It would also prohibit people subject to restraining orders in domestic violence cases from having guns.
Some gun rights advocates say disarming a gun owner based on a restraining order would violate the concept of due process. That’s because a guilty finding is not necessary for someone to be the subject of a protective order.
Both sides in the gun debate are sharing their views with lawmakers in the run-up to the vote in the Judiciary Committee.
