Ban on assault weapons manufacturing in Mass. sought by Moran, fellow Democrats

Apr. 21—BOSTON — State Rep. Frank Moran and three other Democratic legislators are proposing a bill which would outlaw the manufacturing of assault weapons in Massachusetts that are banned from being sold in the state.

The state has banned civilians from buying or owning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines for decades, but companies like Smith & Wesson, with headquarters in Springfield, can still make the guns in Massachusetts and sell them elsewhere.

Backed by parents who lost children to mass shootings and the Stop Handgun Violence organization, Moran, who represents Lawrence, launched the effort Tuesday with the support of fellow lawmakers. They filed legislation that would extend the existing assault weapon ban to cover the manufacturing of guns sold to civilians.

"The safety of our communities is of the utmost importance to me, but I also feel strongly about Massachusetts' role in the national discussion surrounding mass shootings and gun safety," Moran said.

"We must protect our citizens and law enforcement officials from the harm that these military-style weapons cause, while also taking critical steps to protect law enforcement across the country to ensure that they are not outgunned by weapons made here in Massachusetts," he said.

Sandy Phillips, whose daughter Jessica Redfield Ghawi was killed in the Aurora, Colorado, movie theater shooting in 2012, said gun violence victims and their families have been unable to convince manufacturers to stop producing military-style weapons.

"These weapons are made in your state, but they can't be sold in your state, so in effect Massachusetts is exporting bloodshed to the rest of the country," Phillips said at a virtual press conference alongside Massachusetts lawmakers. "There are no reasons other than the pleas of Americans for them to do anything to stop the carnage. Legislation is the only way."

The bill would prohibit Massachusetts companies such as Smith & Wesson from manufacturing assault weapons and high-capacity magazines that cannot legally be sold or owned in the state. Anything manufactured to be sold to law enforcement, the military or foreign governments would be exempt from the proposed ban. Handguns — which are used in a vast majority of gun violence — would not be affected.

Massachusetts first implemented a statewide ban on assault weapons in 1998, when a similar federal law was already in place. In 2004, Republican Gov. Mitt Romney signed a permanent ban into law shortly before the federal policy expired.

The proposal drew immediate criticism from gun ownership advocates, who described it as misguided and insufficient to address underlying causes of violence.

Jim Wallace, executive director of the Gun Owners Action League, said his group opposes the latest proposal and the state's existing ban on the purchase of assault weapons.

"We oppose the ban itself because it's not based on anything that's actually safety-related," Wallace said. "It's more political agenda and what I call social bigotry against gun owners by people who don't understand what's going on."

Wallace said he believes the Legislature should address the role of mental health in gun violence and suicides, which in 2017 accounted for 60 percent of all gun deaths nationwide, according to the Pew Research Center.

Smith & Wesson, which did not respond to an immediate request for comment, is one of the top firearm manufacturers nationwide. In the most recent financial quarter, the company reported selling more than 600,000 guns and accessories, more than double its sales from a year ago, according to a recent WBUR report.

Moran filed the legislation along with Rep. Marjorie Decker of Cambridge, Sen. Cynthia Creem of Newton and Rep. Bud Williams of Springfield.

Material from the State House News Service was used in this report.

Follow staff reporter Jill Harmacinski on Twitter @EagleTribJill.