BOSTON – On Saturday State Senator Don Humason filed a bill in response to Attorney General Maura Healey’s recent directive to firearm retailers regarding her new interpretation of the state’s ban on certain firearms in Massachusetts.
“As a Legislator and a strong supporter of Massachusetts residents’ second amendment rights, I was very disappointed to learn about the Attorney General’s unclear and overreaching attempt to reinterpret the intention of the Legislature on this issue,” said Senator Don Humason. “As recently as 2014 we debated the state’s gun laws, and to my best recollection this concern was not expressed by a single member in either branch during that debate or the previous sixteen years the Legislature debated this issue.”
Senator Humason’s bill, An Act clarifying firearms oversight, would remove the Attorney General’s authority to promulgate rules and regulations regarding the sale of firearms in the Commonwealth. The proposal has received bipartisan support in the Legislature.
“Public input and deliberative debate is critical when we are considering changes to laws regarding citizens’ constitutional rights,” said Humason. “What the Attorney General issued this week flies in the face of the transparent and accessible government that residents expect and we work to ensure.”
On Wednesday, the Attorney General issued a directive that sought to define the terms “copy” and “duplicate” as used in the Commonwealth’s ban on all fully automatic firearms and certain semiautomatic firearms. Her action effectively caused an immediate ban on an undefined list of firearms across the state, sparking legal concerns for law-abiding firearms owners, firearms dealers, and law enforcement officials.
“I am happy to discuss the many ways we can promote increased firearm safety while preserving second amendment rights in the Commonwealth, and I think it is an important conversation to have on a continuing basis. The bill I filed seeks to ensure that the Legislature can continue to have that conversation honestly and openly, without misinterpretation of the bodies’ intent.”
Formal sessions in the Legislature conclude on July 31.
Senator Humason represents the 2nd Hampden and Hampshire District, which consists of the cities of Agawam, Easthampton, Holyoke, Westfield, and parts of the city of Chicopee; and the towns of Granville, Montgomery, Russell, Southampton, Southwick and Tolland.
The Senator maintains a district office for the convenience of his constituents and encourages them to contact him at his district office at 64 Noble Street in Westfield, Massachusetts 01085, (413) 568-1366; or his Boston office, State House, Room 313A, Boston, Massachusetts 02133, (617) 722-1415. His email address is [email protected].
