State lawmakers in deep-blue Rhode Island on Tuesday announced a concerted effort to pass a ban on common semi-auto firearms.

Gov. Dan McKee (D) was joined by state officials, legislators, and anti-gun activists to call for the passage of an "assault weapons ban" during this year’s legislative session. McKee, who was endorsed for office by both Everytown and Giffords, added money for the nascent ban in his 2026 budget proposal, while state Sen. Louis DiPalma and Rep. Jason Knight, fellow Democrats, are introducing the bicameral legislation. 

The proposed prohibition would outlaw the manufacture, purchase, sale, transfer, and possession of firearms deemed to be "assault weapons," including most semi-automatic shotguns, rifles, and pistols, under the threat of criminal penalties. There are carve-outs for law enforcement and licensed federal firearm dealers, as well as a narrow grandfathering process for those who possess a banned device before the law's effective date.

McKee has already signed a ban on standard capacity magazines capable of holding over 10 rounds, as well as mandatory gun lock measures and a law that stripped the ability for adults under age 21 to purchase guns or ammunition. 

Democrats hold a commanding majority in the Rhode Island General Assembly, controlling 33 of 38 seats in the Senate and 65 of 76 in the House. The last time the Ocean State went Republican in a general election was for Reagan in 1984. 

Should McKee get his ban before Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signs a likely successful SB 25-003, it would make Rhode Island the 11th state to adopt an AWB. States with existing bans are California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Washington.

Banner image: A Zastava Arms USA ZPAP M85 large format pistol in 5.56 NATO, which would likely give Gov. McKee heartburn. It has a 1.5 mm receiver with a bulged trunnion and a hammer-forged chrome-lined barrel. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)