A bipartisan coalition of mayors, lawmakers and law enforcement in Alabama endorsed a public safety package on Thursday that would ban the devices that convert semi-automatic weapons into machine guns — a rare consensus on gun restrictions and a departure from years of conflict about how to stem gun violence.
Representative Thomas Jackson said that he respected the challenges faced by law enforcement but said police officers already benefit from enhanced legal protections that make convictions relatively rare.
Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Secretary Hal Taylor said the moment of political unity reflected the urgency of the problem — both in stemming gun violence and in protecting police officers.
It includes bills that would increase penalties for illegal possession of firearms, enhance sentencing for firing a weapon into an occupied vehicle or home, expand the list of crimes where bail denial is allowed, and increase legal protections for police officers accused of excessive force.
Conversion devices that speed the firing of semi-automatic weapons are already banned under federal law, but there's currently no state law prohibiting possession.
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