Massachusetts House and Senate Pass Gun Control OverhaulMassachusetts House and Senate Pass Gun Control Overhaul The Massachusetts Legislature has passed a comprehensive overhaul of the state’s gun laws, including measures to crack down on untraceable “ghost guns” and expand the “red flag” law. The bill, which passed the House and Senate without a single Republican vote, received overwhelming support from Democrats. A handful of Democrats and all Republicans opposed the legislation. The bill gives law enforcement tools to confiscate firearms from individuals deemed a threat to themselves or others. It also bans firearms in additional public spaces, including schools, polling places, and government buildings. Governor Maura Healey is expected to sign the bill into law within 10 days. Supporters of the bill argue that it is necessary to reduce gun violence, citing the recent attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump and the subsequent investigation as an example of the benefits of gun tracing. Opponents argue that the bill infringes on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens and will not be effective in preventing gun violence. They also expressed skepticism about the efficacy of gun tracing policies.
JULY 18, 2024…..Without a single Republican vote, the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate sent the governor a massive overhaul of the state’s gun laws on Thursday, checking off one of the top items on the Legislature’s to-do list for the rest of July.
The conference committee report (H 4885), announced and unveiled Wednesday, passed the House by a vote of 124-33 and then the Senate by a vote of 35-5. A handful of Democrats joined all Republicans in opposing it: Sen. Marc Pacheco and Reps. Colleen Garry, Patricia Haddad, Kathy LaNatra, David Robertson, Alan Silvia, Jeff Turco and Jonathan Zlotnik. Independent Rep. Susannah Whipps also voted no.
The bill, which Gov. Maura Healey now has 10 days to sign into law, would give law enforcement tools to crack down on untraceable “ghost guns,” ban firearms in additional public spaces such as schools, polling places and government buildings, and expand the 2018 “red flag” law to allow school administrators and licensed health care providers to petition a court to temporarily confiscate firearms from someone deemed a threat to themselves or others.
“Gun violence is an anathema to any civil society, but it continues to plague us here in America in a unique way. I’ve heard critics of this legislation say it’s unnecessary, that it’s a solution in search of a problem. Well, here’s a problem: Since June 1 alone — June 1 — there have been 14 gun deaths here in Massachusetts,” Rep. Michael Day, the lead House negotiator, said Thursday before reading the names of the 14 people killed.
Day added: “That’s just in Massachusetts. Since June 1, there have been 107 mass shootings, 576 people injured and 103 people killed in the United States — from June 1 to today. So there’s your problem that we have to solve. We don’t have to live this way.”
Rep. Joseph McKenna, who represented the House minority in the negotiations but did not sign the final deal, said some parts of the bill “are not objectionable to anyone” and “would deserve support if they were taken out and set aside, things like carrying a firearm while intoxicated, recklessly shooting into a dwelling and collecting data related to violent crimes committed with a firearm.”
But McKenna refuted Day’s claim, saying the end product is “a solution in search of a problem.”
“The reality is that the state already has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country. As a result, those who choose to exercise their constitutional Second Amendment right have had to jump through hoops for decades to remain law-abiding citizens,” he said. “Meanwhile, those who plan to commit violence and do so with a firearm will have no respect for these proposed laws or the laws already on the books.”
McKenna added: “The gentleman read out an impressive list of victims who have died from gun violence. I certainly express my regret and sorrow for the lives that have been lost. But I have to ask the gentleman, what part of this bill that is before us would have saved those lives?”
House Public Safety Chairman Rep. Carlos Gonzalez used the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump over the weekend and the subsequent investigation as an example of what could be possible with a gun-tracing policy.
“Today we’re giving our law enforcement partners a number of tools to trace firearms. Who would be against that?” he said. “A 20-year-old just shot our former president. And within an hour, they had traced that gun back to the lawful user of that gun, and that helped in the investigation. Why wouldn’t we trace every gun involved in every crime in Massachusetts?”
After Thursday’s votes, the Massachusetts chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action applauded the bill and said they expect Healey to sign it.
“Massachusetts is an example to the rest of the country. We are showing that even with existing gun safety laws, we can always do more to save lives,” said Grace Field, a volunteer leader with Boston University Students Demand Action. “Gun violence is the leading cause of death for my generation, so there is nothing more urgent for us than to address this uniquely American crisis. We thank Massachusetts lawmakers for their dedication to our safety and look forward to building on this progress.”
