Gov. Maura Healey (D-Mass.) implemented a new gun law on Wednesday, weeks before the gun control legislation was initially expected to go into effect amid opposition from gun rights advocates.
According to Fox News, the new gun control legislation was passed by state lawmakers in July and was initially going to take effect on October 23, 90 days after Healey signed the bill into law. However, the Democratic governor’s decision to immediately implement the law on Wednesday has prevented a potential temporary suspension of the law, which has been petitioned by gun rights advocates.
In a statement obtained by Fox News, Healey said, “This gun safety law bans ghost guns, strengthens the Extreme Risk Protection Order statute to keep guns out of the hands of people who are a danger to themselves or others, and invests in violence prevention programs. It is important that these measures go into effect without delay.”
According to Fox News, the Massachusetts gun control legislation comes after the the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen. In the 2022 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that U.S. citizens have a right to carry firearms for self-defense in public.
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The Democrat-led state’s new gun control law, “An Act Modernizing Firearms Laws,” makes it illegal for anyone to carry guns at schools, government buildings, or polling locations unless they are a member of law enforcement. The legislation expands the state’s “red flag” law that allows police, school, and health care officials to notify the courts if they believe a gun owner should temporarily have their guns taken away.
The new law will force anyone who applies for a license to carry firearms to have a basic understanding of firearm safety and complete live-fire training practice, while district attorneys will be permitted to prosecute individuals for shooting near homes and remove guns from individuals subject to restraining orders. The governor previously announced that the legislation “cracks down on ghost guns and 3D printed weapons.”
The state’s definition of “assault weapons” will now not only include guns typically considered by gun control advocates as “assault weapons” but will also include other guns that function in a similar manner. The law also bans the possession, sale, or transfer of “assault-style” weapons and large-capacity feeding devices.
According to The Associated Press, prior to the governor’s implementation of the gun control law, gun rights advocates had been working to gather signatures to temporarily suspend the law. The outlet noted that gun rights advocates have described the law as a “historic attack on our civil rights.”
