McBride will move to release SB163 (Assault Weapons Ban) from committee

Greg Lavelle, your disingenious bullshit bluff has been called.  You will now vote yes on this bill.   Senate President Pro Tempore Dave McBride had this to say on the Senate floor this afternoon:

“Madam President, I wanted to address a matter that many of us have been hearing about in this building, in our districts, and in the press. Last week, Senate Bill 163 was heard in the Senate Judicial and Community Affairs Committee. I put SB 163 in the Judicial and Community Affairs Committee because of where it falls in the Delaware Code.

I believe strongly in the idea that with very few exceptions, the committee process should be objective. That was the case with SB 163, as it has been for every other gun control bill I have assigned.  As all of us know, the committee did not release SB 163. Although I am a supporter of the legislation, I do not begrudge anybody’s right to oppose it.

But it’s plain to anyone paying attention that there is a great deal of public interest in this legislation, on all sides. It is every senator’s prerogative to support or oppose any bill; but when an issue like this garners such an extraordinary level of interest and passion, every senator should also have the opportunity — if not the responsibility — to have their positions on the record.

It is therefore my intent for the Senate to consider this legislation on the floor as soon as we return to session Tuesday. It’s my hope that we will have a committee report available at this time, but in any event this is a critical issue and it will be considered Tuesday.

I commend Sen. Townsend for taking the time to allow ample public input and a full debate, above and beyond what was required, on this legislation. After three months of public interest, of commentary in and out of this building, and of attention from the media, all of us — supporters and skeptics alike — would be remiss not to allow this debate to reach the full Senate or to receive an up-or-down vote.

So that all means on Tuesday, McBride will be moving to suspend rules on Tuesday to release the bill from the Senate Judiciary Committee. That motion will need to be passed by the full Senate before the bill can be released. If that motion is successful, then there will be debate and then possibly a full vote on the bill.