PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A few days before Wednesday 's House hearing on gun control, a group of state lawmakers headed to the Manville Sportsmen's Rod and Gun Club in Lincoln.
State Rep. Larry Valencia, a Richmond Democrat, who took part in one of the two outings, says they were invited by freshman state Rep. Stephen M. Casey, D-Woonsocket.
The goal was to educate lawmakers about firearm safety as well as demonstrate the type of semi-automatic, military style weapons that Governor Chafee and legislative leaders have proposed to ban in Rhode Island.
And, of course, to shoot.
Valencia says lawmakers fired handguns and an assault rifle similar to the AR-15 used in the Newtown, Conn. school shooting in December.
"Believe me: we got two hours of education and agitprop before we even fired one gun," Valencia said. "It didn't really do it for me. If anything, I came away with a real distaste for the smell of gunpowder."