Tomorrow afternoon, on June 4, House Bill 6160 is scheduled to be heard in the House Judiciary Committee upon “rise of the House.” Sponsored by Representative Larry Valencia (D-39), House Bill 6160 would remove the town clerk and sergeant from the list of licensing officers for concealed carry permits. This legislation would impact residents of small towns like Exeter, without a chief of police, and force gun owners to apply to the Attorney General for concealed carry permits. Attorney General-issued permits can be “may issue” in practice. This transfer of powers would effectively change the current “Shall-Issue” law to “May-Issue,” making it much more difficult for those who wish to exercise their constitutional rights to obtain a carry permit. It is important that you contact the members of the Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee as well as Rep. Valencia and respectfully urge them to oppose House Bill 6160. This legislation would set a dangerous precedent for letting towns circumvent Rhode Island’s concealed carry law, which could greatly impact your inherent right to self-defense as a citizen of the Ocean State.
Representative Larry Valencia (D-39)
(401) 539-3420
House Judiciary Committee:
Representative Edith H. Ajello (D-3), Chairman
Representative John J. DeSimone (D-5), Vice Chairman
(401)454-1400
Representative Joseph S. Almeida (D-12)
(401)467-7033
Representative Christopher R. Blazejewski (D-2)
(401)484-8814
Representative Dennis M. Canario (D-71)
(401) 683-4926
Representative Doreen Marie Costa (R-31)
(401)206-6891
Representative Robert E. Craven, Sr. (D-32)
(401)294-2222
Representative Donald J. Lally Jr. (D-33)
(401)792-9090
Representative Charlene Lima (D-14)
(401)946-5707
Representative Michael J. Marcello (D-41)
(401)647-5905
Representative Peter F. Martin (D-75)
(401)924-2404
Representative K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-23)
(401)827-0100
Representative Donna M. Walsh (D-36)
(401)364-6433