Amid concerns about gun owners who failed in their last-minute attempts to register now-illegal assault weapons and large capacity ammunition magazines, lawmakers are considering granting an amnesty period for people who missed the registration deadline.
The comprehensive
gun-control bill enacted last spring required owners of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines to register the guns and declare ownership of the magazine if they wished to keep them.
About 50,000 assault weapons were registered last year, and close to 40,000 people declared possession of magazines – many of them doing so during the final days of December. But legislative leaders in recent weeks have raised concerns with the governor's office that some individuals who attempted to register their weapons were prevented from doing so as a result of early post office closings on
New Year's Eve.
"It had come to my attention and the attention of others that many people who were attempting in good faith to comply with the law…were not able to because of what I would argue were circumstances not under their control," said Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, who said he has been in discussion with other lawmakers about a possible amnesty period for people who tried to register but failed to do so.
