MA Gun Activists Force Rewrite of Controversial Gun Bill

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Nicholas Handy, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Massachusetts is one step closer to passing the controversial gun bill after the House voted on an amended bill, passing it by a tally of 111-37.

The bill – labeled “An Act Relative to the Reduction of Gun Violence” – was recently amended on Tuesday, largely in part by the recommendation and discussions between Speaker DeLeo and members of the Gun Owners Action League (GOAL).

"We have been very successful in changing the gun language in this bill," said Jim Wallace, executive director of GOAL. "GOAL has told the legislature that we are neutral on the bill. We believe this is a victory for the 2nd Amendment in Massachusetts."

Before the bill was sent to a vote, there was an attempt made to delay the vote by one week so that there could be additional time to view and discuss the revisions to the bill. The delay was shot down in a 57-91 vote.

Working Together

In an effort to create a bill in which all parties can be satisfied, Speaker DeLeo says that he has made a pronounced effort to speak with those who have been concerned about the gun bill.

Noticing that one of the largest concerns about the bill dealt with the issue of police chiefs being given the discretion to deny someone a firearm license, a change was made; now police chiefs will be required to give reasons for denying a firearms license. This reasoning would have to be based on public safety and is something that could be challenged in court.

“Since we unveiled the gun safety bill, I have been in discussions with gun safety advocates, experts, gun owners and House members,” said House Speaker Robert DeLeo. “Our work has resulted in a bill that is fair and comprehensive. I believe that the bill the House will debate tomorrow represents one of the most effective gun laws in the country, an important public safety measure that can serve as a model to other states.”

A Bill Full of Bureaucracy

While the amended bill has seen an increase in support – GOAL now sits neutral on the bill – there are still those in Massachusetts that are very much opposed to the bill, saying that it does nothing to prevent gun related violence.

Chris Pinto, a member of the Worcester Republican City Committee, says that he can’t understand why GOAL would switch their stance on the bill or what Speaker DeLeo was thinking when he helped to create the bill. Rather than creating a bill that helps reduce gun violence, this is a bill that fuels bureaucracy and hinders law abiding citizens.

“I don’t see ‘neutral’ as a screaming endorsement for this bill,” said Pinto. “According to the title of the bill, it is supposed to address gun violence. In reality, it does no such thing. It doesn’t push for the enforcement of violent criminals, it creates more bureaucracy around schools and mental health, and it puts a lot of burden on law abiding citizens. There are a lot of gun laws we have now that we don’t enforce, why should we add another one? The fact that our government is so out of touch with reality is comical.”

Related Slideshow: The Influence of Gun Money in New England States

New Data from The Sunlight Foundation shows state-by-state breakdowns for donations to groups on both sides of the gun debate. The money went toward candidates, political parties, and political action committees (PACs), but doesn't include donations to independent or so-called “super PACs”.

See how much money went to candidates in each of the New England States in the slides below.

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