Massachusetts pro-gun advocates are pushing to get rid of a law passed last year that bans many common semi-automatic rifles in the state.
The ban on what the state calls “assault-style” firearms has been a sticking point with gun-rights advocates since its passage last year. Not only does the law infringe on the constitutional rights of lawful citizens in the Bay State, but it also gives a lot of interpretive leeway to anti-gun politicians to determine which guns are actually illegal.
On October 31, state legislators held a hearing to discuss the future of the law. And both supporters and opponents of the law spoke out concerning the issue. The Public Safety Committee hearing focused on whether to uphold or overturn the restrictive gun law.
Toby Leary, chairman of the Civil Rights Coalition, was critical of the legislation.
“You hate the Second Amendment and continually show us that by abusing the power that was granted to you by the people,” Leary told anti-gun lawmakers at the hearing.
On the other hand, gun-ban proponents were quick to praise the law, even though it’s not likely to make anyone in the Bay State safer.
“Our strong gun laws are saving lives, and it is vital that we protect those laws and continue to build on them,” said Ruth Zakarin, CEO of the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence.
Incidentally, the law is also currently being considered in the courtroom. On August 21, the National Rifle Association (NRA) filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, East Division, challenging the ban. Joining the NRA in the action, named Hanlon v. Campbell, are the Gun Owners’ Action League (GOAL), Pioneer Valley Arms, three NRA members and another individual.
“Radical gun grabbers in Massachusetts have run roughshod on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens,” John Commerford, executive director of NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA), said at the time. “These extreme and ill-conceived laws have created chaos in the Commonwealth, turning lawful gun owners into felons overnight. Today’s lawsuit filed by the NRA seeks to end arbitrary bans on commonly owned firearms and begin the process of restoring the constitutional rights of Bay Staters.”
Along with banning so-called “assault-style” weapons, Massachusetts’ law also bans “any firearm listed on the assault-style firearm roster.” This roster is supposed to be compiled, published and distributed to all FDL holders and posted online three times per year by the Secretary of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, who also has the authority to amend the roster upon his or her own initiative.
“But the Secretary has not published the ‘assault-style’ firearms roster, nor announced when such roster may be published or which firearms it will include,” NRA-ILA wrote. “The lack of any such roster and the Secretary’s ability to change the roster at any time preclude anyone from knowing whether a firearm is or will become prohibited.”
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