6/30/2021
Lawmakers pass bill banning guns on school grounds
PROVIDENCE – Both the Rhode Island Senate and the House on Wednesday passed legislation which would prohibit anyone, with certain exceptions, from bringing a gun onto school property. The Senate version of the bill is sponsored by Senate President Dominick Ruggerio and the House legislation is sponsored by Majority Whip Katherine Kazarian.
The bills are named The Harold M. Metts School Safety Act of 2021 in honor of its longtime champion in the Senate. Kazarian has introduced the legislation for the past several sessions.
“Guns do not belong in schools, and private citizens have no business bringing a gun on school property,” said Ruggerio, of District 4, representing North Providence and Providence. “Citizens carrying firearms in schools increases risk, not safety. There have been dozens of examples of mishandling and accidental discharge of firearms in schools across our nation. We are working hard to improve education in our state. The presence of firearms in schools is detrimental to a positive learning environment.”