![[CREDIT: Natalie Ferland] Lisa Tomasso Senior Vice President at Hospital Association of Rhode Island, urged councilors to support a General Assembly bill that would curb prescription drug costs. The Council also heard from a number of yellow-clad gun rights advocates urging the council to weigh in opposing an assault weapons ban before the General Assembly.](https://e8dgfhu6pow.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Council-assault-weapons-tax-plan-2.jpeg?strip=all&lossy=1&ssl=1)
WARWICK, RI — The 25 vocally disgusted gun rights advocates at Monday’s Metropolis Council assembly emptied Council Chambers after councilors didn’t condemn an assault weapons ban, lacking a reconsideration vote reversing course.
Along with the decision opposing the ban, the Council additionally accredited a decision supporting a Basic Meeting invoice limiting prescription prices, and accredited first passage of Mayor Frank Picozzi’s new tax plan, up for second passage June 16.
That plan, famous Tax Assessor Neal Dupuis in the course of the Could 5 Metropolis Council assembly, lets the City adjust residential and commercial tax rates according to total assessed value. Successfully, Dupuis mentioned, this may enable town flexibility to regulate tax charges to shift among the tax burden off residential property house owners.
The decision, PCR-45-25, asks the Basic Meeting to amend R.I.G.L §44-5-67.2 relating to property tax classification for the Metropolis of Warwick to raised stabilize property tax funds. The measure handed unanimously with 8 “sure” votes Could 5.
Monday’s vote was additionally unanimous, setting the merchandise up for a last second passage this month.
Assault weapons ban vote reconsidered
Shortly after the yellow t-shirt-clad gun rights advocates cleared the room, the Council adjourned for a short recess, with members partaking in a collection of one-on-one discussions between Councilman Ed Ladouceur, who proposed the decision opposing the ban, Council President Anthony Sinapi, and Councilman Bryan Nappa.
Once they reconvened, Sinapi had a revised model of Ladouceur’s decision prepared which addressed Nappa’s objections, already printed. Sinapi introduced he had anticipated the definition query and had tried his personal.
The Council debated that replace to Ladouceur’s decision for about half-hour, finally arriving at agreed upon language:
WHEREAS, the broad definition of “Assault Weapon” in H 5436 and S 359 might be extra narrowly tailor-made to handle army model weapons and {hardware}, comparable to supplied in S 734:
“Assault weapon” means any weapon which mechanically shoots, is designed to shoot, or will be readily restored to shoot a couple of shot with out handbook reloading by a single perform of the set off. This shall embody the body or receiver of any such weapon, any half designed and meant solely and solely, or mixture of components designed’and meant to be used in changing a weapon right into a machinegun, and any mixture of components from which a machinegun will be assembled if the components are within the possession or below the management of a person.
“Machine gun” means any weapon as outlined in § 11-47-2(10) and shall embody any bump-stock machine or related machine or attachment which permits a semi-automatic weapon to shoot a couple of shot with a single pull of the set off by harnessing the recoil vitality of the semi automated weapon to which it’s affixed in order that the set off resets and continues firing with out extra bodily manipulation of the set off by the shooter.
The Council accredited that language on a 6-3 vote, with Councilman Jeremy Rix, Vinny Gebhardt and Invoice Foley voting towards.
Prescription invoice vote
PCR 70-25, proposed by Council President Sinapi, is a decision requesting the Basic Meeting to help the Defending Inexpensive Prescription Drug Value Act.
Some members of the council didn’t really feel that this was the right setting to be discussing this invoice, and that it might be simpler to current it earlier than the state legislature. Councilman Gebhart was the primary to voice the opinion, with Rix and Foley echoing the priority later within the assembly. Gebhart famous the assault weapons ban vote was additionally not inside their affect and finest left to town’s state representatives to argue. He mentioned there are issues earlier than the Metropolis Council affecting Warwick extra immediately. “I believe we have to be very cautious concerning the sorts of statewide points that we weigh into,” he mentioned.
A movement to favorable motion was moved by Councilman Ladouceur and was seconded by Councilman Muto. The movement handed with seven sure votes, one no from Gebhart, and one recusal from Rix.
Tax Plan vote
PCO-14-25, proposed by Council President Sinapi on behalf of Mayor Picozzi, was introduced ahead throughout Monday’s assembly. That is an ordinance amending Part 2-16 of the Code of Ordinances to codify the Metropolis of Warwick’s Tax Classification Plan supplied in R.I.G.L. § 44-5-67.1 by means of § 44-5-67.3.
In gentle of PCR-45-25 being handed unanimously in the course of the assembly on Could 5 and the Decision being despatched to the Basic Meeting requesting the Metropolis of Warwick be granted extra flexibility in setting its business property tax charge, Council President Sinapi on behalf of Mayor Picozzi proposed PCO-14-25, which is able to enable Warwick to implement this flexibility.
Councilman Nappa motioned to favorable motion as a proposed modification, which was seconded by Councilman Muto.
The primary passage was unanimous. The second passage shall be voted on on the subsequent assembly on June 16.
