Photo courtesy of Alexius Horatius
BOSTON – The State House and Senate recently sent Governor Healey an overhaul of the state’s gun laws.
House Bill 4885, or An Act modernizing firearms laws, passed through the State House on a 124-33 vote and the Senate by a vote of 35-5.
The Bill includes provisions such as raising the age to own a semiautomatic rifle or shotgun to 21, banning the carrying of firearms in government buildings, polling locations, and schools, while giving law enforcement tools to crack down on hard-to-track “ghost guns”.
The bill passed mostly along party lines, with a few Democrats and independents joining Republicans in opposition to the bill.
Supporters of the bill such as State Representative Day pointed to 14 recent shooting deaths occurring since the beginning of June as proof that work remains to be done in fixing gun violence.
Opponents such as State Representative Xiarhos say they support certain provisions in the bill but have questions regarding its cost and restrictions it may place on law enforcement.
The forwarding of the Bill to Governor Healey opened a ten-day period for her to sign the legislation.
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