Rhode Islanders are among the Americans who can’t simply walk into a gun store and walk out with their purchase. The state had a seven-day waiting period to allow for background checks when buying a gun. Had. The governor has more than quadrupled that with an executive order.
Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo has signed an executive order that extends background checks for firearm purchases from seven days to 30.
They went on to say the jump from a one week to a one month wait, the report said, is due to the high volume of gun purchases in the tiny state:
The executive order was signed on Friday and it was sent to media with an attached letter from the Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association that referenced the significant amount of gun applications.
According to a letter from the Executive Director of the Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association Sidney Wordell, the number of applications is having a strain on local police department as the backgrounds need to be made within the seven days or the purchaser would be able to get the weapon without a background check.
How many gun purchases? Well…
As an example, Wordell said Warwick PD got an average of 28 applications a day before the run, and now they got 404 in just three days.
The executive order will remain in effect until April 19, 2020 – for now. It can always be extended. Or become permanent (if the governor is willing to risk a lawsuit).
Thoughts?