State Rep. Philip Ensler, D-Montgomery, said in the freshman session: He introduced a series of gun reform bills.

None of the bills passed the Republican-controlled Congress, but at least one bill had bipartisan support.

Now, a year into his term, Ensler has pre-filed three of these bills and hopes to bring them closer to fruition.

HB36 would reflect a federal law that prohibits the use of trigger activators, also known as “Glock switches,” to convert regular firearms into automatic weapons.

“They're very dangerous, they're difficult to control and fire, people don't have the proper training to control them, and they're proliferating across the state,” Ensler said. “This bill would make it a crime to possess any of these firearms.”

Ensler's colleague, Republican Randy Wood, introduced a similar bill last Congress, but it was not introduced in the House.

HB38 would create a Community-Based Violence Prevention Program in collaboration with the Alabama Department of Economic Community and provide grants for community violence prevention programs.

HB48 would give judges the power to temporarily suspend an individual's right to own a firearm as a stopgap measure to curb gun-related crimes.

“We see this particularly in domestic violence cases, where someone may threaten to shoot someone at work, a loved one, someone they love, and this gives law enforcement a tool to temporarily address that threat. ” Ensler said.

The bill provides for two orders that a judge may issue. One is a “unilateral red flag order,” which prohibits the defendant from owning a gun or purchasing ammunition while the hearing is set, and the other is a “one-year red flag protection order,” which halts the hearing. The defendant's ability to do the same for her one year based on the outcome of that hearing.

Red flag laws have become a common response across the United States in response to a spate of mass shootings across the country.

Although Republicans have notoriously blocked most attempts to restrict gun ownership in any form, Ensler said he hopes these bills will find bipartisan support. .

“I spent a lot of time this offseason talking and talking with leadership,” Ensler said. “That’s why I pre-filed these bills and worked with my colleagues and community to give them the best possible chance of passage.”