Rhode Island’s Democratic-controlled state House has advanced legislation that would ban sales of certain semiautomatic rifles. The guns are commonly referred to as assault weapons. Lawmakers approved the proposal Friday on the last day of session. If the bill is signed into law, Rhode Island would become the 11th state with some sort of assault weapons ban. Rhode Island’s version only applies to the sale and manufacturing of assault weapons and not possession. Only Washington state has a similar law. Assault rifles are largely the weapon of choice among those responsible for most of the country’s devastating mass shootings.
