"Ghost gun" crackdown in Mass. Dems' sights
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Firearms constructed from parts that lack serial numbers would be outlawed in Massachusetts under a new gun reform proposal likely to become law in the coming weeks.
Why it matters: The bill strengthens Massachusetts' already tight gun laws, gives law enforcement more latitude to seize weapons and revamps the licensing process.
What's happening: The conference committee tasked with drawing up a compromise between the House and Senate filed a final new bill Wednesday that will likely easily pass the Legislature and become law.
Between the lines: Democrats in the two chambers were miles apart when the issue first gained traction on Beacon Hill, but after months of negotiations, House and Senate leaders arrived at a final bill they can send to Gov. Maura Healey.
- Lawmakers started exploring how to strengthen the state's gun rules after the Supreme Court's Bruen decision made it harder for local jurisdictions to regulate firearms.
What they're saying: "While the Commonwealth's existing gun laws have proven to be effective in preventing gun violence compared to other states, relative success is never a cause for complacency," House Speaker Ron Mariano said in a statement.
Yes, but: Gun owners have called portions of the proposal an affront to Massachusetts citizens' Second Amendment rights.
- "This is simply a tantrum because of Bruen that the powers that be in Massachusetts that support this garbage could not tolerate the Supreme Court telling them they were wrong," Gun Owners' Action League executive director James Wallace told Axios.
- Wallace, whose group is affiliated with the National Rifle Association, compared the reaction to the Bruen decision to laws passed in southern states after the Brown vs. the Board of Education decision.
The fine print: The bill would crack down on so-called "ghost guns" by changing the legal definition of "firearm" to include gun frames and receivers, the parts needed to build a self-made gun.
- The parts would require serial numbers that could be tracked the same way as complete guns.
- It creates new penalties for installing devices that convert legal firearms into fully automatic guns.
Friction point: The agreement would also alter the gun licensing process in a way supporters claim is more transparent and Second Amendment advocates say is unconstitutional.
- Anyone applying for a license to carry firearms would need to pass an exam in basic firearm safety and receive live firing training.
The other side: Wallace said live fire training is unnecessary because Massachusetts does not have a problem with gun accidents.
The bill also lets local police know the mental health backgrounds of gun license applicants.
- And it would establish a data dashboard on firearm crime available to researchers, law enforcement and policymakers.
- Applicants would be able to track the status of their applications in real time.
For the first time, law enforcement and courts would be able to take guns away from legal owners with the recommendation of a health care professional.
- It would also curb the gun rights of people deemed dangerous under harassment prevention orders.
- Carrying a gun or hunting while drunk would be punishable similarly to operating a car while intoxicated.
- And it would prohibit firearms in schools, polling locations and government buildings for anyone outside law enforcement.
What's next: The House plans to pass the gun bill Thursday, with the Senate following suit soon.