The NRA announced plans to challenge Massachusetts’ new firearms law, signed by Governor Maura Healey last week. The law has sparked significant concern among gun owners out of a very real concern it will effectively ban common firearms.
Governor Healey signed the bill on Thursday, introducing measures to combat ghost guns, expanding laws for the confiscation of firearms from individuals deemed a threat and adding schools, polling places and government buildings to the list of areas where firearms are prohibited. The bill also redefines “assault-style firearms.”
“With Governor Healey’s signature, Massachusetts has enacted one of the most egregious and freedom-restricting laws in the history of the Commonwealth. We are thankful for the bipartisan group of legislators who stood against gun registries and the banning of commonly owned firearms and standard magazines,” stated the NRA last week. “NRA will be challenging this law to restore the rights guaranteed to Bay Staters by the U.S. Constitution.”
The legislation passed the Massachusetts House with a 124-33 vote and the Senate by 35-5, NBC Boston reported. Opposition included a handful of Democrats who joined all Republicans in voting against the bill. The vote demonstrates how overhwhelmingly Democrat and politically unbalanced the state is. Among the dissenters were Sen. Marc Pacheco of Taunton and Reps. Colleen Garry of Dracut, Patricia Haddad of Somerset, Kathy LaNatra of Kingston, David Robertson of Tewksbury, Alan Silvia of Fall River, Jeff Turco of Winthrop, Jonathan Zlotnik of Gardner and Independent Rep. Susannah Whipps of Athol.
The law’s new definition of “assault-style firearms” includes semiautomatic shotguns, and any semiautomatic centerfire rifle or pistol with the ability to accept a detachable feeding device and featuring at least two specific characteristics. These features include a folding or telescopic stock, a thumbhole stock or pistol grip, a forward grip, a threaded barrel designed for a flash suppressor or muzzle brake, or a shroud encircling part of the barrel to shield the bearer’s hand from heat.
Gun owners have expressed concerns that many of these features are common and cosmetic, potentially rendering a broad array of semi-automatic rifles and shotguns illegal. The Gun Owners Action League, the NRA’s local affiliate, stated in its summary that the new definition “includes most, if not all, semi-automatic rifles and shotguns.”
Democrats who drafted the bill maintain that it will withstand constitutional scrutiny. However, Randy Kozuch, Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, criticized the law as one of the most extreme gun control measures in the country, citing its sweeping gun bans, magazine restrictions, mandatory firearm registration, and stringent training requirements.
The NRA’s planned legal challenge aims to overturn what they describe as an overreach infringing upon Second Amendment rights. As the debate intensifies, the impact of Massachusetts’ new firearms law will likely resonate beyond the state’s borders, influencing national conversations on gun control and constitutional rights.
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