The sweeping gun control bill introduced in the Massachusetts legislature will be postponed for debate until the fall amid disagreements between the two Democrat-led chambers.
"We remain disappointed that the Senate delayed our intended review of this gun violence legislation by insisting on its referral to the Public Safety Committee," House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano said in a statement to lawmakers Monday night.
The disagreement stems over which committee should hold a public hearing on the 140-page bill introduced last month. The House prefers the Judiciary Committee, which oversaw Beacon Hill’s response to the Supreme Court’s New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen ruling, while the Senate is pushing for it to go to the Public Safety Committee.
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The bill proposes many changes to Massachusetts' current gun laws, including mandatory registration of firearms and magazines, a ban on carrying on private property unless expressly permitted, a ban on human silhouette targets in ranges, a prohibition on people under 21 from purchasing or carrying semi-automatic shotguns and rifles and many more.
"The House believes that the Joint Committee on the Judiciary is uniquely equipped to navigate the legal challenges brought on by SCOTUS decisions, just as it did during our initial response to Bruen and the overturning of Roe," Mariano wrote.
Senate President Karen Spilka seemed to stay steadfast in a statement, according to Politico Massachusetts Playbook Monday night, claiming, "we were hopeful that referral to the Public Safety Committee would expedite matters ... we remain confident the Legislature will perform an open and transparent process."
Republican Rep. Nick Boldyga told Fox News that he believes the bill is "the most egregious and blatantly unconstitutional bill" he has seen in his 12 years as a representative.
"As a lifelong responsible gun owner and former law enforcement officer, I am unequivocally opposed to this anti-Second Amendment attack against law-abiding citizens," he said. "I stand firmly opposed to this legislation if it comes to the floor for a vote."
The National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR), which previously issued a travel advisory over the legislation, applauded the delay in a statement.
"The Speaker is right to back down and if he were smart, he would kill the bill altogether," said Dudley Brown, president of NAGR. "Delaying the bill till the fall won’t dampen the pressure, it just gives us more time to rally our members in opposition."
He added that the group’s travel advisory will remain in place.
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"Gun rights and freedom are under relentless assault in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," Dudley said. "Nothing about the Speaker’s tactical retreat changes that."
Mariano called the legal landscape "challenging" following the Bruen decision that upheld the right to carry a pistol in public under the Second Amendment.
"As you have heard me say many times, the Bruen decision fundamentally changed how courts review state gun laws and immediately jeopardized aspects of the laws that have made our Commonwealth a national leader in reducing gun violence," he wrote. "While the House’s commitment to pursuing a comprehensive update remains steadfast, a new legal landscape will be the greatest threat to those efforts."
Mariano added that the bill should be reviewed over the summer and members should speak with their constituents and provide feedback until after the August recess.
Mariano and Spilka did not respond to a request for comment.
