Large-capacity magazine bill on hold after Senate committee votes it down, full Senate brings House version forward

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — A bill to ban magazine capacity for semi-automatic weapons to 10 rounds was shot down in a Senate Judiciary Committee vote Tuesday.

The vote was 6-6, with two Republicans being joined by four Democrats voting against the bill.

All three members of Senate leadership joined the vote in support of the bill.

Members of the Senate voted 25-10 (needing a 2/3 majority) to bring the House version to the full Senate for “immediate consideration.”

The bill passed the Rhode Island House Friday night and that version is still very much alive.

Opponents of the bill have argued that by reducing the magazine capacity, it would ultimately ban standard handguns that hold more than 10-round magazines.

Two other gun measures did advance out of the committee — one to raise the age to purchase a gun or ammunition to 21 and another to ban open carry of shotguns and rifles.

Those bills will head to the Senate floor and the House passed their versions of those bills last week.