WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — In the wake of the Lewiston mass shooting, U.S. Sen. Angus King, an Independent from Maine, on Thursday introduced a bill aimed at curbing mass killings without hindering Americans who own a firearm for self-defense or sporting purposes.
King introduced the Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act with his colleague, Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico. A press conference is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. Thursday to further announce the legislation.
Eighteen people were killed and 13 people were injured in the Lewiston shootings, which took place Oct. 25 at a bowling alley and restaurant, located about 4 miles away from each other
In a press release Thursday, King's office said the GOSAFE Act would "protect communities from gun violence while safeguarding law-abiding Americans’ constitutional right to own a firearm for legitimate self-defense, hunting and sporting purposes."
King said the bill would regulate the sale, transfer, and manufacture of gas-operated semi-automatic weapons by:
- Establishing a list of prohibited firearms;
- Preventing unlawful modifications of permissible firearms;
- Mandating that future gas-operated designs are approved before manufacture; and
- Preventing unlawful firearm self-assembly and manufacturing.
The bill would limit the number of rounds that large capacity ammunition feeding devices are permitted to carry to 10 rounds of ammunition or fewer. The capacity must be “permanently fixed,” according to King, meaning the firearm cannot accept a detachable, high-capacity magazine that would increase the number of rounds that can be fired before reloading and make reloading easier.
The bill includes exemptions based on maximum ammunition capacity according to a firearm’s individual class: a rifle, shotgun, or handgun. Exemptions include:
- .22 caliber rimfire or less firearms
- Bolt action rifles
- Semi-automatic shotguns
- Recoil-operated handguns
- Any rifle with a permanently fixed magazine of 10 rounds or less
- Any shotgun with a permanently fixed magazine of 10 rounds or less
- Any handgun with a permanently fixed magazine of 15 rounds or less
"The key is the lethality of the weapon," King told NEWS CENTER Maine. "How do you make it less dangerous? Not what it looks like, but how do you make it less dangerous? My goal straight up is saving lives. We believe that the legislation we're proposing today will do exactly that."
Conversion devices, including bump stocks and Glock switches, would become illegal.
The GOSAFE Act would also protect the value of firearms already owned before enactment and aims to prevent stockpiling by establishing a voluntary buy-back program which, according to King, would allow firearm owners to voluntarily turn over and receive compensation for non-transferrable firearms and magazines as defined by the legislation.
For more information on GOSAFE Act, click here.
A spokesperson for U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, issued the following statement to NEWS CENTER Maine on Thursday:
"Senator Collins recognizes the time and effort that went into developing this proposal from Senators Heinrich and King, and she will carefully consider it.
Senator Collins believes that there is a crime and violence problem in this country and that Congress should join with the states and law enforcement in trying to address it. She will continue to focus on measures that could help save lives, including legislation that could help keep firearms out of the hands of criminals, and also people who are suffering from mental illness that could cause them to be a danger to themselves and others. She is currently drafting legislation that would direct the military to fully utilize state crisis intervention laws."