Del. Committee Releases Bill To Outlaw Large-Capacity Magazines

The House Judiciary Committee Tuesday released a bill that would ban magazines in Delaware that can hold 17 or more rounds.

The panel held a virtual hearing that came close to reaching its four-hour time limit. About 50 people spoke and 280 people signed up to attend the hearing online.

Supporters of Senate Bill 6 believe restricting large capacity magazines could reduce the firepower of weapons often used in mass shootings. In addition to questioning whether the measure addresses a true source of gun violence in Delaware, opponents also see it as a violation of the Second Amendment.

 “The very first battle of the [American] Revolution in 1775 was based on the idea that the British were on their way to seize the arms of the civilians at Concord,” Representative Jeff Spiegelman, R- Clayton said. “This [issue] was on our Founding Fathers’ minds so greatly that they included the Right to Bear Arms second in their amendments to the U.S. Constitution in the Bill of Rights.”

Spiegelman also said a proposal to refund ten-dollars for a non-compliant magazine surrendered to authorities would not come close to the cost of replacing it with a compliant magazine.

The measure was released from the committee. It will be scheduled for a vote on the House floor.