Response from Rep Jim Kolbe

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AZTOY

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Dear Mr. Berki:

Thank you for writing me about the prohibition on semiautomatic assault
weapons. I appreciate hearing from you.

The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 prohibits the
manufacture or importation of semiautomatic assault weapons and large
capacity ammunition feeding devices. In the case of large capacity
ammunition feeding devices, the ban on importation applies to those
devices manufactured after September 1994. The Act provides an exception
for the transfer, sale, or possession of semiautomatic assault weapons and
large capacity ammunition feeding devices lawfully possessed on the date
of enactment. This prohibition is effective for ten years, which means
that it will automatically end after September 13, 2004.
The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act required a study of the
effects of these bans, with particular emphasis on violent and drug
trafficking crime, to be conducted within 30 months following the
effective date of the bans. To satisfy the study requirement, the National
Institute of Justice awarded a grant to The Urban Institute. This report
stated the following:
"We were unable to detect any reduction to date in two types of gun
murders that are thought to be closely associated with assault weapons,
those with multiple victims in a single incident and those producing
multiple bullet wounds per victim."
I opposed the inclusion of the semiautomatic assault weapons ban in the
larger Violent Crime Control Act of 1994. At that time, I believed that
banning a weapon because it looked like a military weapon would not reduce
violent crime. The "military-looking" semi-automatic weapons targeted by
this legislation were involved in less than 1 percent of homicides. I
have seen no evidence that has caused me to alter this belief and am
inclined to support allowing the ban to lapse next year.


Again, thank you for letting me know your views on this matter. I hope
this helps you understand mine.

Sincerely,

Jim Kolbe
Member of Congress

This address is used for outgoing correspondence only. For future
correspondence, please visit http://www.house.gov/kolbe


We have one guy on are side
:D :D
 
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