Woonsocket Radio News Room

Rep. Boylan, Sen. McKenney bill would keep guns out of the hands of hate crime perpetrators

 

STATE HOUSE — Rep. Jennifer Boylan and Sen. Mark McKenney have introduced legislation that aims to reduce gun violence by prohibiting those sentenced to a hate crime from purchasing and possessing guns.

“Rhode Island law attempts to take the sensible precaution of removing guns from the hands of those likely to do harm with them, but these efforts are incomplete,” said Representative Boylan (D-Dist. 66, Barrington, East Providence). “As hate crimes increase locally and nationally, we need to stay proactive by closing loopholes that allow dangerous individuals to own guns before we see a large-scale tragedy occur in our state.”

Said Senator McKenney (D-Dist. 30, Warwick), “Federal law prevents those with felony convictions from possessing guns, but many hate crimes are misdemeanors, allowing perpetrators to still legally arm themselves. We need state-level intervention to prevent these individuals from accessing the deadly weapons that can escalate their bigotry into large-scale tragedies, in the same way we bar those who violate protective orders from owning guns.”

Rhode Island law already prohibits individuals with certain criminal convictions like assault and cyberstalking from purchasing, owning, carrying, transporting, or possessing firearms. This legislation (2025-H 5652, 2025-S 0530) would extend that prohibition to those who have been sentenced or plead no contest for a crime with a hate crime sentencing enhancement, joining 25 states, including Massachusetts and Connecticut, that have adopted similar legislation.

“Now more than ever, Rhode Island needs to ensure that anyone who has committed an act of hate-filled violence does not have access to a deadly firearm. Easy access to firearms by people motivated by hate puts already-marginalized communities at increased risk of violence, which is why a measure like this to prevent people sentenced under Rhode Island’s hate crime enhancement law from purchasing or possessing a firearm is critical and lifesaving. We hope our lawmakers will join in supporting this measure to save lives across Rhode Island and keep our communities safe from targeted acts of gun violence,” said Tony Morettini of the Rhode Island chapter of Moms Demand Action.

In the last decade, many prominent mass shootings were investigated or charged as hate crimes, including the shootings at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC; the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, FL; the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburg, PA; a Walmart in El Paso, TX; Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo, NY; and Club Q in Colorado Springs, CO. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, in an average year there are more than 25,000 hate crimes committed in the United States involving firearms.

“Hate crimes become deadly when firearms are involved. This bill will help ensure public safety in Rhode Island, especially with hate crimes on the rise in America,” said Melissa Carden, executive director of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence.

A hate crime is any criminal act in which the perpetrator intentionally targets a victim because of a person’s actual or perceived disability, religion, color, race, national origin or ancestry, gender or sexual orientation. Under Rhode Island law, a hate crime is not a separate criminal charge but is rather a sentencing enhancement to an existing offense.

Evidence suggests that hate crimes in Rhode Island have increased significantly in recent years: according to Justice Department data, hate crimes in Rhode Island increased by 75% from 2022 to 2023. The number of hate crime offenses increased by 3.7% nationally over the same time period.

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