Democratic Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey will take emergency action to force a sweeping gun reform package to take effect immediately, blocking hopes of Second Amendment advocates to suspend the law until putting it to a vote, Boston 25 News reported Wednesday.
Healey signed the law on July 25, which included bans on “ghost guns,” 3-D printed guns and expansions of red flag laws, according to Boston 25 News. The law was originally set to go into effect Oct. 27, 90 days after its passing, however the emergency preamble would implement the law immediately and prohibit temporary suspension of the law that the ballot initiative would request, drawing the ire of Second Amendment advocates in the state.
“That’s the only reason [Healey is] acting. Make no mistake about it,” Toby Leary, co-owner of Cape Gun Works and chair of The Civil Rights Coalition told Boston 25 News. “The only reason she’s signing this as an emergency preamble is because they don’t want this suspended.”
Second Amendment advocates in Massachusetts said the law going into effect immediately puts gun shops at risk of going out of business due to some of the restrictions on long guns, according to Boston 25 News. An emergency law cannot be suspended as part of a campaign for a ballot initiative.
“It’s like telling Subaru they can no longer sell a Subaru Forester, the best-selling vehicle in their lineup,” Leary told Boston 25 News “That’s basically what the state is doing to these businesses: they’re saying you can no longer sell one of the largest and most profitable segments of your business.”
The movement for the ballot initiative gained 65,000 signatures, well over the threshold for the initiative to be presented to voters and the threshold to pause the law while waiting to vote in 2026, according to Boston 25 News. The movement expects to surpass 95,000 by the paperwork deadline of Oct. 9.
“Massachusetts is proud of our strong gun laws, but there is always more work to be done to keep our communities safe from violence. This legislation updates our firearms laws in response to the Supreme Court’s misguided Bruen decision,” Healey said in a press release announcing the bill’s signing. “It cracks down on ghost guns and 3-D printed weapons, which I have long advocated for, enhances our ability to prevent guns from falling into dangerous hands, and invests in our communities to address the root causes of violence. This law will save lives, and I’m grateful to the Legislature and gun safety advocates for their hard work to see this through.”
“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,” Healey said in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “It is important that these measures go into effect without delay.”
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