Mass. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approves gun law changes

BOSTON — Members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives on Wednesday approved legislation that revises the state's already stringent gun laws after releasing the bill from committee, bypassing any input from the Senate.

The bill was approved a 120-38 vote with Republican legislators voting nearly unanimously in opposition. It was formulated to address perceived deficiencies in the state's gun laws after the 2022 Supreme Court decision, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen, that struck down that state's century-old public carry licensing law.

The Massachusetts measure reaffirmed the state's decades-old ban on assault rifles, revising the list to address advances in technology. It included measures that legislators believe will address the proliferation of so-called "ghost guns," homemade or kit firearms that lack serial numbers and are not registered with the state. The new law requires that all kit or homemade firearms, if sold, must be etched with unique serial numbers and registered with the state.

It also outlines areas where firearms are prohibited: schools, including colleges and universities, certain public or governmental buildings and polling places. It also bars firearms on private property, including homes and businesses if the prohibition is posted by the owner. Police officers, even when off duty, are exempt from prohibitions.

The bill had been attached to the governor's closeout budget but was excised out.

On Wednesday, during the hours-long discussion and back-and-forth by House members, nearly 50 amendments were offered, most of which were rejected.

Rep. Michael Day, D-Stoneham, whose office crafted the bill, offered a synopsis of Massachusetts' gun legislation dating back to 1632, when the first prohibition on carrying a firearm without permission was enacted. The lesson spanned the years, ending with the 2014 move to change the state's firearms licensing procedures.

Rep. David Muradian, R-Grafton, recognized that following the Bruen decision, Massachusetts was forced to come into federal compliance.

"I understand that something must be done to address the issue of ghost guns; however, this is an egregious infringement of the rights of all lawful gun owners in Massachusetts and all Massachusetts residents," Muradian said.

Measures hollow

In his remarks, Muradian pointed out that some of the provisions included in the 120-page document, specifically those pertaining to data collection and statistics surrounding gun violence, had already been addressed in the past, but because there was no funding included to establish the programs, the measures are hollow.

"My colleagues say the bill will make Massachusetts safer; there is no data to indicate that," Muradian said. He questioned whether the legislation will decrease gun violence in Massachusetts and suggested that instead of enacting new laws, legislators make sure existing laws are upheld.

"This is overreaching by the legislators, we have the strongest laws in the country, but this law does not ensure safer streets or deter criminals," Muradian said. He agreed with measures to regulate ghost guns and requests for licenses to carry, or to carry concealed weapons

A contingent of grassroots organizations, including Moms Demand Action and other proponents of gun-control legislation, were on hand to witness the voting. Jennifer Robinson of Scituate, the co-lead of the Massachusetts chapter of the organization, said the members were excited about the bill.

"It's bold, innovative and includes components we have been working on through three different legislative cycles," Robinson said. "We are wholeheartedly in favor of the legislation."

She called it "a great starting point."

"There's been a huge increase in the number of ghost guns being found and confiscated by local police," Robinson said. "The state has to stay on top of new technologies; it cannot wait three legislative cycles (six years) to address the issues.

"It's about preventing harm," Robinson said.

Also attending the formal legislative session were defenders of the Second Amendment and private gun ownership.

Gun owners slam bill

Jim Wallace of the Gun Owners Action League called the bill a cauldron of "arrogance, ignorance and bigotry," a tantrum pitched by Massachusetts legislators following the Bruen decision.

Legitimate gun owners and gun ownership, Wallace said, are not the problems. Law-abiding citizens who fabricate a firearm and then sell it have no problems etching it with a unique serial number or registering the sale with the state.

"Criminals don't care about the laws," Wallace said.

Attention will now turn to the Senate, where Democrats are working to write their own firearm legislation. President Karen Spilka said earlier this month that the Senate "will pass it and I do believe we will have something on the governor's desk, definitely before the session's over."

With reports from State House News Service

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Mass. gun law overhaul approved by House of Representatives