Warwick council opposes proposed state assault-weapons ban after hours of debate and public comment; amends resolution to remove rebuttable-presumption language

The Warwick City Council voted 6–3 to approve an amended resolution opposing H5436 / S359, the Rhode Island assault-weapons bill, after extended debate and a large public-comment period in which dozens of residents urged both support and opposition.

Council sponsor and several council members framed the resolution as a defense of residents’ Second Amendment rights and a response to potential unfunded municipal burdens in enforcing a statewide ban. The council considered two alternates before adopting one that specifically asks the General Assembly to remove a provision that would create a rebuttable presumption that certain weapons were procured after 07/01/2026 and to require a clear process for issuing duplicate certificates for owners who choose to obtain a certificate of possession.

"I object to that legislation," the resolution’s sponsor said during debate. "I stand behind what we have here." (Council member, opening remarks.)

Council members and the public traded sharply different assessments of the bill’s public-safety and legal effects. Supporters of the state bill argued it would reduce the lethality of mass shootings and pointed to court decisions upholding similar laws; opponents said the proposal is overbroad, would turn law‑abiding owners into criminals, and could harm local businesses that serve hunters, sport shooters and veterans.

In public comment, Tanya Pereira told the council the bill’s renamed ‘‘voluntary certificate of possession’’ would amount to a registry and urged the council to send a message to state lawmakers: "Please support the Second Amendment resolution before you and send a strong message to our out of touch state legislators." Emily Howe, representing the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence, urged the council to support restrictions and cited national mass-shooting incidents as justification.

Council members debated a president-proposed amendment to adopt a narrower statutory definition used in other states; that version failed. The council then approved a substituted amendment focusing on two practical changes: eliminating the rebuttable-presumption clause and asking for a statutory process to issue duplicate certificates for lawful owners who elect to obtain one. The substitute passed on a 6–3 roll call; the amended resolution passed 6–3.

Solicitor’s office staff explained the amended language would not alter federal preemption issues but would register the council’s preference that the legislature remove the contested presumption and provide a replacement/duplicate-certificate mechanism. The city-approved amendment does not itself create any registration system — it asks the state to address these procedural concerns should the legislature enact a law.

The council president and several members said they backed the narrower amendment because it addressed constitutional and fairness concerns raised during the hearing while still signaling support for stronger statutory guardrails if the legislature acts.

The resolution will be sent to Warwick’s state delegation and to the General Assembly; council members said they also expect further hearings and amendments at the state level in the coming days.

The council returned to other business after the vote; no ordinance changes were adopted as part of this item at the city level.