For people who want to ban new sales of so-called assault weapons in Rhode Island, this is the best of times AND the most uncertain of times.
For years, supporters called on lawmakers to take a vote. This week, the House of Representatives put its support behind the bill. The legislation to ban new sales of guns defined as assault weapons is seen as having the support to make it through a vote by the full state Senate. But therein lies the rub. To get to the Senate floor, the bill first has to win approval from the closely divided Senate Judiciary Committee. Senate President Val Lawson could use her power to move the legislation to a different committee with more support. But Lawson’s deputy, Majority Leader Frank Ciccone, is a staunch gun rights supporter -- and it remains unclear if the effort to ban so-called assault weapons will make it to the Senate floor this year. So has the effort in the House been for nothing? If the Senate kills the bill, what comes next? This week on Political Roundtable, I'm going in depth with state Representative Jason Knight, Democrat of Barrington, who sponsored the assault weapon ban in the House.

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