Lou believes law-abiding gun owners — sportsmen, hunters, collectors, and homeowners — shouldn't be treated as the problem. Policy should target actual criminal misuse of firearms, not the ability of law-abiding Rhode Islanders to own, sell, or pass down a lawfully owned firearm.

The current law: Rhode Island's statewide ban on the sale, manufacture, and transfer of certain semi-automatic firearms (enacted as 2025-S 0359A, Chapter 281) took effect July 1, 2026. As passed, the law restricts sale, manufacture, and transfer of covered firearms — it does not ban possession by owners who already lawfully hold them. A separate bill, H8073, has been introduced that would remove that grandfather clause; as of this writing it has not passed.

Lou opposes this law and will work at the State House to repeal it. He is a member of the Cranston Fish and Game Association and understands firsthand the impact these restrictions have on sportsmen and rural gun owners in District 41.

Statutory citations above reflect the campaign's research at the time this page was drafted. Rhode Island General Laws are subject to amendment each legislative session. Verify current statutory text via the Rhode Island General Assembly website (rilegislature.gov/Statutes) or Westlaw/LexisNexis before relying on this page for anything beyond general campaign messaging.

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