PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — A hotly contested firearm bill has been the center of a House Judiciary Committee hearing that started Wednesday afternoon. The committee is hearing multiple bills, including the so-called assault weapons ban supported by Gov. Dan McKee. Currently, fully automatic w eapons like machine guns are already illegal in the state. The bill, named "The Rhode Island Assault Weapons Ban," prohibits the purchasing, selling or manufacturing of various semiautomatic weapons. READ MORE: What guns are included in Gov. McKee’s ‘assault weapons ban’? If the bill becomes law, which would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, current owners of these types of guns would have one year to register them and get "a certificate of possession." The lead sponsor of the bill is state Rep. Jason Knight, D-Barrington. State Sen. Lou DiPalma, D-Middletown, has introduced a Senate version. "The first thing I always talk about when I introduce a bill is why," Knight said during the hearing. "Every year I get up and I talk about the lethality of these weapons, and mass shootings in America and the prevalence of mass shootings." As with previous hearings on gun-related legislation, supporters and opponents of the bills packed the State House to testify. Those in favor of this bill wore red shirts, while people against it donned yellow shirts. A line began forming outside of the State House as the hearing kicked off Wednesday afternoon. William Worthy, owner of Big Bear Hunting & Fishing who testified against the bill, said "approximately 60%" of all the firearms he sells "would be affected by this definition, including firearms commonly used for hunting and target shooting." "Should this bill pass, it would severely limit new sales of these firearms, putting our business at risk," Worthy continued. "This could result in layoffs, reduced work hours or even the closure of our business." Outside of the hearing room, the State House's rotunda is filled with people for and against the bill. "You cannot own a firearm unless you have a clean record," a person who opposes the bill told 12 News. "Why are they imposing laws on us? What they should be doing is going after the criminals. The criminals are the ones that break the laws and there's no law that this governor or anybody else in this building is gonna create that criminals aren't going to break." A supporter of the bill said he feels "it's a very important piece of legislation to keep Rhode Islanders, Americans safe." "So, we just think that those sorts of weapons have no place on the streets," he added. Locally, the town of Lincoln passed a resolution earlier this month opposing the ban. In 2019, Burrillville declared itself a "2nd Amendment sanctuary town." Meanwhile, McKee told 12 News he believes that "the state overall supports gun safety legislation." The ban was included in McKee's budget proposal this year, however, House Speaker Joe Shekarchi is unsure if there would be enough legislative support for that approach. "Now it's in the hands of the General Assembly, and we'll wait and see what happens," McKee said. WATCH: Where does the proposed statewide assault weapons ban stand? In years past, the bill has stalled due to Senate President Dominick Ruggerio opposing it at the state level, previously saying it should be done federally. However, Ruggerio, who has received high ratings from the National Rifle Association, signaled in a December interview with the Boston Globe he could have a change of heart. The bill was held for further study, which is a common procedure, and its fate is to be determined. Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the new 12+ smart TV app. Follow us on social media:                     Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Nesi's Notes SIGN UP NOW ...read more read less