Governor Healy plans to immediately enact Massachusetts highly controversial gun
law.
22 News State House reporter Olivia Ray got a look
at support and opposition for enacting this law right away.
As tensions rise between supporters and opponents of a new
gun law, Healy spokesperson says the governor will move to
immediately implement the law on Wednesday.
While new laws typically take effect 90 days after they
are assigned unless otherwise noted, the governor plans to attach
an emergency preamble which skips the waiting time.
It also prevents the law's opponents from pursuing a 2026
ballot question, which would prevent the law from being enacted
before voters weigh in.
Now opponents to the law who want it to appear
on the 2026 ballot have just until October 9th to
submit the over 37,000 required signatures to election officials.
Leadership says this bill, which cracks down on ghost guns
and expands the red flag law that allows guns to
be taken away from someone considered a threat is too
important to be delayed.
Governor Healey saying in a statement this bill is meant
to keep guns out of the hands of people who
are a danger to themselves or others and invests in
violence prevention programs.
The lead opponent to the new gun law and to
Healey's action this week is the Gun Owners Action League.
The group provided a statement to 22 news saying quote
at have returned the legislature and now the governor have
avoided honest public input, especially from the two a community.
We are the only stakeholders involved and there is a
consistent effort to silence our voices and mislead the general
public.
The Gun Owners Action League says they have begun drafting
a federal complaint with the hopes of stopping enforcement of
this law until voters can weigh in.
Working for you from the State House in Boston, I'm
Olivia Ray, 22 News.