Glock switch ban heading to Alabama House floor

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – The Montgomery lawmaker aiming to ban devices that convert handguns into machine guns says his bill will be on the House floor on Tuesday.

Rep. Phillip Ensler says he has seen the violent crime headlines and wants to do something about it.

“It’s heartbreaking,” he said. “I know that people are understandably concerned. And for those that have been either victims of gun violence or their families or friends, I know it’s really traumatic, and my heart goes out to them. As a lawmaker though, I’m here to do exactly that, as the title says, enact laws.”

It has been the Democrat’s effort to ban devices commonly known as trigger activators or glock switches.

Ensler’s bill saw bipartisan support in committee, but the true test will lie on the House floor.

“Here’s an opportunity to back the blue. Here’s an opportunity to do the right thing,” Ensler said. “So I certainly hope that tomorrow, that it gets overwhelming Democratic and Republican support.”

The bill has become stricter. A recent amendment made initial possession a Class C felony instead of a misdemeanor.

“That is what federal law is,” the lawmaker said. “So we want to make sure in Alabama that we are consistent with what the federal government, what federal law is, so that’s why we’re doing it that way.”

Because this is already federal law, the public may wonder why lawmakers are looking at creating a state law to begin with. Supporters say the federal indictment process can take months and that a state law could allow law enforcement to work more quickly.

There is also a companion bill in the Senate that bans glock switches.

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