WATCH: Kentucky lawmaker in the heart of Trump country sides with students — and gives up his A rating from the NRA

A state representative from rural Kentucky says he's had "a change of heart" and will support common-sense gun control.

Rep. Chris Harris represents Pike County, where Donald Trump won 80 percent of the vote. He previously had an A rating from the NRA. Now, Harris says wants to see a ban on assault weapons, the outlawing of bump stocks, and deeper background checks for gun buyers.

"I have always been a strong advocate for the 2nd Amendment and I will continue to be, but the time has come for common sense action," he said on the floor of the statehouse, according to a local newspaper.

Harris is already acting on his new convictions, co-sponsoring a bill that would end Kentucky's bizarre practice of auctioning off murder weapons to the public. Thanks to that law, a gun that was used in a recent Kentucky school shooting in which two children were killed and 14 others wounded will be auctioned off.

"I'm tired of all the prayers without action," Harris said. "We do nothing to try to minimize these ever-escalating mass shootings with their ever-escalating death tolls. We offer our prayers and we talk about our faith but we do not act. Without action, without good works, our faith and our prayers are dead."

"A lot of people give things up for Lent. I'm giving up my NRA rating," he said.

You can watch Harris' stirring testimony below.