A New Mexico state senator, on Monday, introduced a bill that will require actors and other crew members of productions that use firearms to undergo a State-sponsored gun-safety training course, the Associated Press reported. This move comes months after a prop gun misfire by actor Alec Baldwin killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the sets of the film Rust at a ranch in New Mexico.
If the bill goes through, production companies that do not comply can risk losing eligibility for state film tax rebates. A rebate of 25% to 35% is provided by the state for video production.
Stating that he was heartbroken to learn of the death of Hutchins, Senator Cliff Pirtle said, “Unfortunately, to the Hollywood elite, the talk around guns is all too abstract. This is a simple bill to bring some gravity back to the use of firearms on film sets.”
The prop gun misfire occurred in October 2021 when Baldwin was rehearsing with the firearm on the film’s set. Apart from killing Hutchins, the incident also left director Joel Souza injured. Since then, Baldwin, the film’s assistant director Dave Halls, and armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed have been under investigation. Halls was the one who had declared the prop a “cold gun” – one without live ammunition. Both Halls and Reed later admitted that neither had checked the gun before handing it over to the next person.
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Till date, two lawsuits have been filed against the makers of the film. The first was filed by Serge Svetnoy, who worked as a gaffer (chief electrician) on the sets, and the second was by Maime Mitchell, who had worked as the script supervisor on the set.
According to the firearm supplier for the film, live ammunition might have got mixed in with dummy rounds and caused the misfire.
While no charges have been filed yet, Sante Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said among the evidence collected were 500 rounds of ammunition as well the antique Colt .45 revolver that Baldwin shot. The sheriff had also noted that the police suspected there were other live rounds on set, aside from the one that killed Hutchins.
With the investigation still going on, Baldwin turned in his cell phone earlier in January following reports of non-compliance.