Government Briefs: Healey Signs Gun Law
Healey Signs Law Targeting 3-D, Ghost Guns
Gov. Maura T. Healey signed Thursday into law An Act Modernizing Firearms Laws (H.4885), which cracks down on ghost guns (homemade weapons that do not have a serial number and thus are untraceable) and guns made with a 3-D printer.
The bill was passed by the Legislature as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which many believe weakened states' ability to protect their residents through gun safety laws.
The bill modernizes Massachusetts' existing firearms laws to address issues such as untraceable "ghost guns" and 3-D printed guns, enhance the "Red Flag Law," further protect safety in public spaces and increase violence prevention programming in the state.
As attorney general, Healey was a strong advocate for stricter regulation of ghost guns and 3-D guns.
"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," the governor said. "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."
Governor Changes Emergency Shelter Rules
The Healey-Driscoll administration is announcing changes to its Emergency Assistance (EA) prioritization and safety-net sites for families experiencing homelessness. These changes are intended to address the system's continuing capacity constraints, lower costs, and protect the financial sustainability of the EA system.
Beginning Aug. 1, families will be prioritized for placement in EA shelters if they are homeless because of a no-fault eviction or because of sudden or unusual circumstances in Massachusetts beyond their control, such as a flood or fire, or if they have at least one member who is a veteran. Families will continue to be prioritized if they have significant medical needs, newborn children, are at risk of domestic violence, or are homeless because of fire, flood, or other disasters.
Families who are not prioritized for placement in EA shelters will be eligible to stay at a "temporary respite center" for up to five days. On Aug. 1, the state's safety-net sites in Chelsea, Lexington, Cambridge and Norfolk will be transitioned to temporary respite centers. Norfolk is the newest of these sites and is nearing capacity. The administration will not be opening additional respite center sites due to operational and financial constraints.
Families who choose to stay at a temporary respite center will be required to wait six months or more for placement in the state’s emergency family shelter system.
Markey Calls for Expansion of Supreme Court
U.S. Sen. Edward Markey is pushing legislation he authored in 2021 that would expand the Supreme Court by four seats, matching the 13 Courts of Appeals. The number of justices has been set by Congress and has varied over the nation's history. There have been nine justices since 1869.
"When the Court issued the Dobbs decision, I warned that it was a preview of coming atrocities. In the Court's 2023 term, they began to arrive," said Markey. "The Court's recent decisions on presidential immunity, Chevron deference, and overturning Roe v. Wade laid bare that a far-right, extremist majority has been fully captured and plunged the Court into a crisis of confidence and legitimacy. Because we can no longer trust the current Supreme Court to uphold the words engraved on the outside of the Supreme Court — Equal Justice Under the Law — we must fight to return balance and legitimacy to this institution and expand the Court."
The normally staid court has been caught up in scandals including failure of some justices to declare expensive gifts and trips and the actions of some spouses.
Markey was joined at a press conference in Washington on Thursday by U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia, ranking member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet and lead House sponsor of the legislation.
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