Massachusetts: Ask Committee to Oppose Gun Control, Support Pro-Gun Measures

This Wednesday, February 5th, will be the last day of action on bill reports by the Joint Committees in the Legislature.

Unfortunately, some of the proposals still before the Public Safety & Homeland Security Committee include anti-gun measures and place further burdens on law-abiding gun owners and sportsmen. Some of the latest ill-founded proposals are:

·         Firearm rationing schemes

·         Criminalizing private firearm transfers

·         Increased taxes on firearms and ammunition

·         Mandatory liability insurance for gun owners

Fortunately, there are a number of pro-gun proposals still before the committee that make positive changes for firearm owners in the Commonwealth.

House Bill 2122 creates a new standard to provide a clear presumption that the right to keep and bear arms is an individual civil right in Massachusetts, saving law-abiding citizens from unnecessary harassment. This legislation also provides protections to prevent local government entities in the state from passing laws that further restrict Second Amendment rights. 

House Bill 2144 allows law-abiding gun owners to transport firearms across state lines as long as firearms are unloaded and stored in the trunk or in a locked container. Current federal law, the Firearm Owners Protection Act (FOPA), provides legal protection for law-abiding gun owners traveling across the country. This legislation enacts into state law a similar provision to expand protections for out-of-state/non-residents while traveling through the Commonwealth with a firearm to avoid harassment and any unnecessary delays.