Today's New Urinal....
DOVER — Gun-control legislation that would ban the sale of high-capacity ammunition magazines is headed to the full House for consideration following a 3-2 House committee vote Wednesday.
The bill would make it illegal in Delaware to manufacture or sell magazines with a capacity of more than 10 rounds. If anyone owns an existing magazine that can hold more than 10 rounds, they can use it in private settings such as a shooting range or keep it in their home.
Supporters of the legislation, sponsored by Elsmere Democratic Rep. John “Larry” Mitchell and backed by Gov. Jack Markell, argue limiting magazine capacity could limit the number of victims in a mass shooting.
“A ban on large capacity magazines will not prevent the next mass shooting, but what it can do is reduce the number of victims shot or the number of victims killed in the event such a tragedy were to occur in Delaware,” said Andy Lippstone, chief legal counsel to Markell.
Current and retired qualified law enforcement officials would be exempt.
Opponents of the bill say criminals will not abide by the letter of the law, and it potentially will leave victims defenseless in the face of an attack. They also argue that many standard-issue magazines hold up to 15 rounds of ammunition, saying the bill potentially would outlaw common weapons.
“This bill will needlessly restrict our ability to defend ourselves against multiple assailants,” said Tom Whittendale, of Hartly, who wore a shirt reading “Crime Control not Gun Control.”
House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf, who supported the bill’s release from the House Administration committee, said he would consider amendments to increase the magazine sizes allowable under the proposal. Markell would not say Wednesday whether he would favor such an amendment.
Colin Goddard, who was shot four times during the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech that killed 32 and wounded 17 others, was in Dover to advocate for the legislation, saying that “reducing the capacity of the magazine reduces the capability of the killer.”
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Macky Marker, of Odessa, questioned the exemption for members of law enforcement. “We all face the same threats when we leave our homes,” Marker said. “You’re hamstringing our ability to protect ourselves from criminals who will continue to keep the weapons regardless.”
The bill is the latest in a series of gun-control proposals pushed by Markell, Attorney General Beau Biden and Lt. Gov. Matt Denn in the wake of the December shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
A proposal to require background checks on private gun sales awaits Markell’s signature. Legislation that would require Delawareans report when a gun has been lost or stolen – or face criminal penalties – heads to the Senate floor for debate today. A bill to ban so-called assault weapons has not been heard in committee.
The measure to expand high-capacity magazines now heads to the House floor. The measure must be approved by the Senate before heading to the governor’s desk.
There were a number of bill supporters on hand for the hearing, including members of the clergy, trauma nurses from Bayhealth Medical Center in Dover and Christiana Care, and law enforcement officials.
“It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when the next officer gets killed in the line of duty in the state of Delaware,” said Fred Calhoun, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, which represents officers across the state.
“If we have the option of being shot at with a weapon that carries 10 rounds as opposed to 30, we’ll take 10.”
DOVER — Gun-control legislation that would ban the sale of high-capacity ammunition magazines is headed to the full House for consideration following a 3-2 House committee vote Wednesday.
The bill would make it illegal in Delaware to manufacture or sell magazines with a capacity of more than 10 rounds. If anyone owns an existing magazine that can hold more than 10 rounds, they can use it in private settings such as a shooting range or keep it in their home.
Supporters of the legislation, sponsored by Elsmere Democratic Rep. John “Larry” Mitchell and backed by Gov. Jack Markell, argue limiting magazine capacity could limit the number of victims in a mass shooting.
“A ban on large capacity magazines will not prevent the next mass shooting, but what it can do is reduce the number of victims shot or the number of victims killed in the event such a tragedy were to occur in Delaware,” said Andy Lippstone, chief legal counsel to Markell.
Current and retired qualified law enforcement officials would be exempt.
Opponents of the bill say criminals will not abide by the letter of the law, and it potentially will leave victims defenseless in the face of an attack. They also argue that many standard-issue magazines hold up to 15 rounds of ammunition, saying the bill potentially would outlaw common weapons.
“This bill will needlessly restrict our ability to defend ourselves against multiple assailants,” said Tom Whittendale, of Hartly, who wore a shirt reading “Crime Control not Gun Control.”
House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf, who supported the bill’s release from the House Administration committee, said he would consider amendments to increase the magazine sizes allowable under the proposal. Markell would not say Wednesday whether he would favor such an amendment.
Colin Goddard, who was shot four times during the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech that killed 32 and wounded 17 others, was in Dover to advocate for the legislation, saying that “reducing the capacity of the magazine reduces the capability of the killer.”
(Page 2 of 2)
Macky Marker, of Odessa, questioned the exemption for members of law enforcement. “We all face the same threats when we leave our homes,” Marker said. “You’re hamstringing our ability to protect ourselves from criminals who will continue to keep the weapons regardless.”
The bill is the latest in a series of gun-control proposals pushed by Markell, Attorney General Beau Biden and Lt. Gov. Matt Denn in the wake of the December shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
A proposal to require background checks on private gun sales awaits Markell’s signature. Legislation that would require Delawareans report when a gun has been lost or stolen – or face criminal penalties – heads to the Senate floor for debate today. A bill to ban so-called assault weapons has not been heard in committee.
The measure to expand high-capacity magazines now heads to the House floor. The measure must be approved by the Senate before heading to the governor’s desk.
There were a number of bill supporters on hand for the hearing, including members of the clergy, trauma nurses from Bayhealth Medical Center in Dover and Christiana Care, and law enforcement officials.
“It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when the next officer gets killed in the line of duty in the state of Delaware,” said Fred Calhoun, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, which represents officers across the state.
“If we have the option of being shot at with a weapon that carries 10 rounds as opposed to 30, we’ll take 10.”
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