The Massachusetts House has passed a comprehensive gun bill aimed at strengthening the state’s firearm laws, cracking down on unregistered “ghost guns,” and bolstering the assault-style weapons ban. The bill, which received a 120-38 vote, also includes provisions to prohibit individuals from carrying guns into someone’s home without permission and mandates the serialization and registration of key gun components with the state. This 125-page bill is a top priority for Democratic Massachusetts House Speaker Ronald Mariano and comes as a response to a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that affirmed citizens’ right to carry firearms in public for self-defense.
The proposed legislation introduces new laws to prevent firing guns near homes and carrying firearms while intoxicated. It also prohibits the carrying of firearms in schools, polling places, and government buildings. The bill expands the existing assault weapons ban by prohibiting new purchases of AR-15-style weapons and bans the conversion of legal firearms into illegal automatic weapons. Additionally, the proposal includes an enhanced system to track firearms used in crimes, intending to curb the flow of illegal guns into the state. Lawmakers argue that it will modernize the existing firearm registration system and make firearm data more readily available for academic and policy use.
Massachusetts already has stringent gun laws, resulting in the lowest rate of gun deaths in the country in 2021, with 3.4 deaths per 100,000 people. In comparison, Mississippi had the highest rate at 33.9 deaths per 100,000 people, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, the state Senate has yet to release its own version of a gun bill. Both Democratic-led chambers will need to collaborate to create a single bill before it can be sent to Democratic Governor Maura Healey for her signature, making it law.
Opponents of the bill, primarily gun owners, argue that the measures outlined in the legislation disproportionately target law-abiding citizens rather than reducing crime. Jim Wallace, executive director of the Gun Owners’ Action League, expressed his dissatisfaction, stating, “All of it goes against us, the lawful people. There’s nothing in there that goes after the criminals.” Wallace views the bill as an overreaction to last year’s Supreme Court decision and characterizes it as a tantrum.
On the other hand, supporters of the bill contend that it addresses existing loopholes in the state’s gun laws while also responding to the Supreme Court ruling. Jennifer Robinson, from the Massachusetts chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, highlighted the provision in the bill that prohibits guns in safe spaces such as schools, polling places, and the Statehouse. She also emphasized the importance of live fire training for gun license holders, comparing it to the requirement for driver’s licenses.
The bill also transfers the responsibility of inspecting gun dealers to the state police, a provision that proponents argue will contribute to better oversight. Overall, the legislation aims to strike a balance between gun control and Second Amendment rights in Massachusetts.
