Lawmakers on Beacon Hill who are responsible for making changes to firearm laws in Massachusetts are feeling pressure to resolve differences between two competing gun reform proposals due to recent shootings across the state.
Firearm bills that have separately passed the House this session largely cover the same topics — untraceable homemade guns and the ability to convert a semi-automatic firearm into an automatic one, among other things — but diverge enough in the details that a group of six lawmakers was tasked with finding a compromise, which met for the first time Wednesday. passed the House and Senate this session largely cover the same topics — untraceable homemade guns and the ability to convert a semi-automatic firearm into an automatic one, among other things — but diverge enough in the details that a group of six lawmakers was tasked with finding a compromise, which met for the first time Wednesday.
Rep. Michael Day, co-chair of the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee, and lead House negotiator, said that since September, Massachusetts has experienced 88 shootings, 54 residents have been injured, and 46 killed, not including attempted suicides or those that were carried through.
Rep. Michael Day, a Stoneham Democrat, expressed concern about the increase in gun violence during the summer and emphasized the need to expedite the bill and align the language to address the issue, likening it to a pandemic.
Sen. Cindy Creem, the lead Senate negotiator, said that creating a final bill will require time, effort, and compromise.
Sen. Cindy Creem, a Newton Democrat, expressed confidence in the success of the process and the goal to develop legislation that will have a significant positive impact on public safety while honoring the rights of law-abiding gun owners.
Rep. Carlos González, a Springfield Democrat, spoke about the devastating impact of gun violence in his hometown, mentioning last year's 32 murders, including those of children, as well as a recent shooting at a local high school.
Rep. Carlos González, from Springfield, emphasized the importance of respecting legal rights while ensuring responsible gun ownership prioritizes public safety.
The six lawmakers held a public meeting on Wednesday and scheduled another open meeting for next week, departing from the usual practice of conducting negotiations behind closed doors. The decision on whether to keep all meetings public has not been made.
Sen. Cindy Creem expressed the desire for thorough discussions with members before deciding whether it's more productive to include the public in the discussions.
It's uncommon for negotiations on competing bills to be open on Beacon Hill. However, Sen. Cindy Creem was involved in a group in 2012 that conducted discussions on criminal justice reform legislation in public.
Sen. Cindy Creem described the lengthy and successful open discussions on criminal justice reform in 2012 as she also mentioned another group of lawmakers who kept negotiations open to the public in 2016 on reforms to the state’s public records law.
A group of lawmakers in 2016 also conducted negotiations on reforms to the state’s public records law in public.
