SB 22-26: Federal Assault Weapon and Automatic Weapon Ban (Passed)

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

This bill already spent two months getting filibustered in the House. Meanwhile, preventable mass shootings continued to happen across Atlasia. This needs to pass the Senate in its current form immediately, so it can quickly be signed into law and start saving lives!

[Esteemed Jimmy]

I don't support a version of this amendment that prohibits police from using assault weapons. This does nothing to solve the problem of gun violence, while weakening the ability of police and swat teams to respond to dangerous situations. I encourage a NAY vote if the amended version comes to a vote.

[fhtagn]

I don't support a version of this amendment that prohibits police from using assault weapons. This does nothing to solve the problem of gun violence, while weakening the ability of police and swat teams to respond to dangerous situations. I encourage a NAY vote if the amended version comes to a vote.

Neither does an AWB

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I don't support a version of this amendment that prohibits police from using assault weapons. This does nothing to solve the problem of gun violence, while weakening the ability of police and swat teams to respond to dangerous situations. I encourage a NAY vote if the amended version comes to a vote.

I sponsor a bill pre-reset to demilitarize police forces. Don't remember exactly how far it went, but I would be open to the idea in some form. We need to get back to community policing, as opposed to the police being this alien force that comes with military grade hardware. That is asking for hostility.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

This bill already spent two months getting filibustered in the House. Meanwhile, preventable mass shootings continued to happen across Atlasia. This needs to pass the Senate in its current form immediately, so it can quickly be signed into law and start saving lives!

Yea, so many people are going die because we actually decide to debate sh**t for once in a game.


Get a grip dude.

[Former President tack50]

I don't support a version of this amendment that prohibits police from using assault weapons. This does nothing to solve the problem of gun violence, while weakening the ability of police and swat teams to respond to dangerous situations. I encourage a NAY vote if the amended version comes to a vote.

I sponsor a bill pre-reset to demilitarize police forces. Don't remember exactly how far it went, but I would be open to the idea in some form. We need to get back to community policing, as opposed to the police being this alien force that comes with military grade hardware. That is asking for hostility.

I totally agree with this. Now, police should still often be armed for the purposes of self defence and for arresting armed criminals. (Though not even all police need to be armed) However there is a big difference between a regular handgun and military grade hardware. Which can be necessary in some very limited circumstances (areas prone to terrorism for example) but should be used very sparingly.

[Dr. MB]

The amendment has passed, right?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

With no objections having been entered, the amendment offered by Senator Pyro is adopted yes.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The amendment has passed, right?

Technically 24 hours should have been called by Peanut, but I don't see a problem with rolling forward seeing as how no objections appear to have been entered in the past couple days.

[Devout Centrist]

Presenting an Amendment:

Federal Assault Weapon and Automatic Weapon Ban Act

SECTION I: Name and Intent

A.) This bill may be cited as the Federal Assault Weapon and Automatic Weapon Ban Act.

Section II: Criteria

1.) There shall be a nationwide ban on the purchasing, manufacturing, sale, or possession of assault weapons. The criteria laid out in Section 3A to shall be used to classify assault weapons.

2.) The prohibition does not apply to a firearm that is (1) manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action; (2) permanently inoperable; (3) an antique; or (4) a rifle or shotgun specifically identified by make and model.

3.) Any of the following features shall classify a firearm as an 'Assault Weapon'.

A.) Any semi automatic rifle which has a High Capacity Magazine (see Section III) which can hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

B.) Any firearm which has a bayonet lug.

C.) Any firearm which has a threaded barrel.

D.) Any semi-automatic pistol with a detachable magazine in front, or outside of the pistol grip.

E.) Any semi-automatic pistol with a detachable magazine which can accept more than 15 rounds.

F.) Any semi-automatic shotgun with one or more of the following criteria; a pistol grip, a forward grip, a detachable magazine or a fixed magazine with the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds.

SECTION III: High Capacity Magazine Ban

A.) A large capacity ammunition feeding device is hereby classified as any device including a magazine, belt, drum, feed strip, helical feeding device, or similar device, including any such device joined or coupled with another in any manner, that has an overall capacity of, or that can be readily restored, changed, or converted to accept rounds above the limits in Section 2 A, E and F.

C.) The above shall not apply to the possession of any large capacity ammunition feeding device otherwise lawfully possessed on or before the date of enactment of this Act.

Section IV

A.) This Act shall not apply to any firearm purchased, owned, manufactured or possessed before the enactment of this act.

B.) This Act shall apply to any firearm purchased, owned, manufactured or possessed for law enforcement.

C.) This Act shall not apply to any firearm purchased, owned, manufactured or possessed for Military purposes.

Section V:

A.) The punishment for possessing or purchasing any assault weapon that is purchased or transferred between owners after the implementation date of this act on the 1st October 2020 shall be a fine of $3,000.

B.) The punishment for the sale or manufacturing of any assault weapon defined within Section 3 shall be a fine of $10,000.

C.) As outlined in Section IV these punishments shall not apply to the manufacture, purchase or sale of any assault weapon before the 1st October 2020.

D.) As outlined in Section IV these punishments shall not apply for the possession of any assault weapon that the owner legally possessed before the 1st October 2020.
 
E.) An exemption shall be applied by the Attorney General for the manufacture of assault weapons defined within Section 3 providing said weapons are solely sold to the Atlasian Military.

F) There shall be no prison sentence imposed for the possession, manufacturing, purchasing or sale of any assault weapon.

SECTION V: VI: TIMING

1. This bill shall take effect 6 months after being enacted.
1. This bill shall take effect after the 1st October 2020.

[Dr. MB]

objecting to the amendment

[Peanut]

A vote is open on the amendment: Senators, please vote Aye, Nay, or Abstain.

[Former President tack50]

Aye

[Devout Centrist]

Aye

[Pyro]

Aye

[Dr. MB]

Nay

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

NAY

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Nay

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Nay.

[Peanut]

Amendment is tied 3-3 on the following division:

Aye: Tack, DC, Pyro.
Nay: NCY, LT, Scott.


The tie is broken for the Ayes. The Amendment passes 4-3 and debate resumes.

[Dr. MB]

Disappointing result.

[windjammer]

Disappointing result.

I guess it's so disappointing that the Senate is actually trying to reduce gun violence.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Disappointing result.

I guess it's so disappointing that the Senate is actually trying to reduce gun violence.

Oh come on it, it is MB you are talking to, not Fhtagn.

Surely you concede that MB doesn't oppose taking action on gun violence?

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

I will not support a bill that not only bans a type of gun which is only used in 1.4% of gun-related crimes¹, but actually does have legitimate uses by civilians, including small game hunting (especially hog hunting in thick southern brush), sports competitions such as "three gun shoots", and self-defense both at home and during civil disorder situations such as the Rodney King riots in L.A. and Hurricane Katrina.  I will also note that in the first seven years after the original 1994 federal "assault weapons ban" was lifted, murders declined 43%, violent crime 43%, rapes 27%, and robberies 49%.²

I am not at all opposed to taking action on gun violence, but instead of banning a certain class of guns and confining their usage and availability to the black market, I do support universal background checks (with due process) that would keep all guns (including handguns - which are the primary weapon of 74% of mass shootings)³ out of the hands of terrorist suspects as well as domestic abusers and people with a history of violent crime.

<sup>1. Targeting Guns, Gary Kleck, Aldine Transaction, 1997, compilation of 48 metropolitan police departments from 1980-1994
2. FBI Uniform Crime Statistics, Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics – UCR Data Online, 1995-2012
3. Analysis of the Gun Facts Mass Shooting Database as of the fall of 2019</sup>

[windjammer]

Disappointing result.

I guess it's so disappointing that the Senate is actually trying to reduce gun violence.

Oh come on it, it is MB you are talking to, not Fhtagn.

Surely you concede that MB doesn't oppose taking action on gun violence?

For the record, Fhtagn and I have been friends for some years so I don't think I talk to her badly.