Alabama lawmaker moves ahead with push to ban bump stocks in Birmingham

Alabama Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, has pre-filed a bill aimed at banning devices that increase a firearm's rate of fire in Birmingham. 

The proposed legislation, HB62, specifically targets bump stocks in Class 1 municipalities, which are defined as those with populations exceeding 300,000. According to the Alabama League of Municipalities, Birmingham is the only Class 1 city in the state.

The bill defines a bump stock as any accessory that utilizes a firearm’s recoil to enhance its rate of fire. If enacted, owning a bump stock in Birmingham would be classified as a Class C felony in Alabama, punishable by a prison sentence ranging from 366 days to 10 years.

Givan stated that her bill responds to requests from Birmingham officials for legislative action following a recent shooting incident. Police reported that a weapon equipped with a Glock switch was used in a September shooting outside Hush, a hookah and cigar lounge in the bustling Five Points South area, resulting in four fatalities and 17 injuries.

“At least 100 shots were fired in Five Points,” Givan remarked in a news release. “That’s not a crime scene; that’s a war zone. A bump stock serves one purpose: to kill or wound as many people as possible.”

The call for regulation follows the tragic events of the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, where a gunman used rifles equipped with bump stocks, leading to the deaths of 58 people and injuries to 850. This prompted a ban on bump stocks by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives during the Trump administration, but the U.S. Supreme Court recently overturned that ban, citing agency overreach.

Givan had previously introduced a bill for a statewide bump stock ban; however, this new proposal is localized specifically to Birmingham. The bill is set for its first reading in the House Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security on February 4.