BOSTON — The Massachusetts chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, issued the following statement commending House lawmakers for passing H.4135, An Act Modernizing Firearm Laws. This comprehensive gun safety legislation would ensure that people carrying guns in public receive rigorous safety training, update Massachusetts’s assault weapons prohibition to keep more dangerous military-style semiautomatic weapons out of Massachusetts, prohibit ghost guns, explore innovative and emerging gun safety technologies, and more. The bill would also keep guns out of sensitive public spaces including schools, polling places, and government buildings in response to the Supreme Court decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, that allowed more people to carry guns in public in Massachusetts.
“Communities across Massachusetts are grappling with the impact of senseless gun violence. Today, House lawmakers have sent a resounding message: we will act to end gun violence in our Commonwealth,” said Donna Stevenson, a survivor of gun violence and volunteer with the Massachusetts chapter of Moms Demand Action. “This bill is a vital step forward in addressing the current trends of gun violence and providing our cities and towns with improved resources to effectively combat this crisis. We thank Speaker Mariano, Chairman Day, and our gun sense champions in the House for their leadership and commitment to public safety and look forward to working with Senators to send a strong, comprehensive bill to Governor Healey’s desk.”
In September, Everytown for Gun Safety unveiled new polling in Massachusetts that showed strong support gun safety policies , including many of the measures in H.4135, such as prohibiting ghost guns, increasing training requirements for those seeking a License to Carry, and prohibiting guns in sensitive places like schools, polling places, bars, and daycares. The polling underlines the overwhelming support for gun safety and the need for urgent action on gun safety with 84% of respondents supporting the prohibition of the sale and possession of ghost guns and 84% supporting increased training requirements for those seeking to obtain a License to Carry.
In an average year in Massachusetts, 255 people die by guns and 557 people are wounded. Gun violence costs Massachusetts $3.5 billion each year, of which $85.4 million is paid by taxpayers. More information on gun violence in Massachusetts is available here.
