For once some good news from the State House

[Coyote33]

Good news, the following bills have been released with a favorable decision and will move up the ladder to the next step towards becoming law. (insert School House Rock song here)

H541 An Act authorizing the licensing of firearms for persons 70 years of age or older
H2204 An Act Relative to the Fees for the Renewal of FID cards by elderly persons
H2229 An Act further regulating the issuance of firearm identification cards and licenses to carry firearms
H2232 An Act relative to the use of shotguns
S920 An Act further regulating the issuance of firearm identification cards
S964 (amended "Katrina" bill) An Act prohibiting the confiscation of legally owned firearms during a state of emergency

Also note H 2259 was given an extension for further study, this is neither bad nor good, look for more info on this soon.

So, where on the ladder are these now?

Can we get some sort of post summing up all the legislation currently hanging in the balance?

 

[Mikel131]

I don't believe they can arbitrarily revoke or suspend licenses.

When I was 15 I was issued a FID card good until suspended or revoked good for lifetime. They revoked them all for the money $$$

 

[YosemiteGram]

I talk about it more often than not but...sooner or later it will be time to move to a free state....

 

[GOAL C.M.]

So, where on the ladder are these now?

Can we get some sort of post summing up all the legislation currently hanging in the balance?

I update them on THIS PAGE as we get the info from the State House.

The "Committee Report" column is the latest status as we know it, if anyone knows anything in addition please shoot me a PM.

Thanks

 

[CRSIII]

When I was 15 I was issued a FID card good until suspended or revoked good for lifetime. They revoked them all for the money $$$

Oh thank God, I thought I'd died!

 

[seanc]

Maybe once MacDonald takes the 2A from a privilege to a Right in Mass, this will have a positive effect in the People's republik?

 

[Knuckle Dragger]

Maybe once MacDonald takes the 2A from a privilege to a Right in Mass, this will have a positive effect in the People's republik?

Don't get too excited. McDonald alone is unlikely to change anything in the Commonwealth. McDonald would only address making a restricted LTC 'shall issue'. So, to overturn Comm v. Davis you'll need a willing plaintiff who was denied a restricted LTC on suitability, a couple of good appellate lawyers, because while the plaintiff might win in district court, that won't be binding on other courts. And you'll need a chief and town willing to dig in their heels and spend lots of money on a case they know they will eventually lose.

In reality, most, if not all, towns will back down and issue a restricted LTC before they take a suitability fight very far.

ETA: Of course H2259 with obviate the need for any lawsuits, but the committee's single biggest concern with H2259 was stripping chiefs of their power to determine suitability. Between that and the current governor, H2259 while not exactly DOA is terminal.

 

[Remsport Mfg]

Am I correct in the fact that some of these bills have the change in what defines a gun? Why is it no one seems to have a problem with this?

 

[terraformer]

Am I correct in the fact that some of these bills have the change in what defines a gun? Why is it no one seems to have a problem with this?

You are correct.

 

[Scrivener]

When I was 15 I was issued a FID card good until suspended or revoked good for lifetime. They revoked them all for the money $$$

BULL.

Money was virtually irrelevant. The purpose of Chapter 180 was to impede gun ownership; first, by immediately eliminating as many licenses as possible and then to make issuance of new licenses far more difficult and burdensome. Period.

 

[Mr Weebles]

BULL.

Money was virtually irrelevant. The purpose of Chapter 180 was to impede gun ownership; first, by immediately eliminating as many licenses as possible and then to make issuance of new licenses far more difficult and burdensome. Period.

Yup.

The money-grab happened later when they raised the fees, IIRC.

 

[seanc]

BULL.

Money was virtually irrelevant. The purpose of Chapter 180 was to impede gun ownership; first, by immediately eliminating as many licenses as possible and then to make issuance of new licenses far more difficult and burdensome. Period.

The Second Amendment is not a Right in Mass. It is a privilege . One that is subject to fiat of our betters and as much legislative red tape, hoops and hurdles they can manage to throw in your way. As long as it remains ultimately attainable while predicated on equation of "reasonableness" divided by the square root of "suitability" they are not in violation and the facade of right is maintained.

 

[Scrivener]

The Second Amendment is not a Right in Mass. It is a privilege . One that is subject to fiat of our betters and as much legislative red tape, hoops and hurdles they can manage to throw in your way. As long as it remains ultimately attainable while predicated on equation of "reasonableness" divided by the square root of "suitability" they are not in violation and the facade of right is maintained.

No. The fact that an FID is "shall issue" (the delusions of Gloucester and one or two other benighted towns notwithstanding), the illusion of a right is maintained.

 

[Admin]

BULL.

Money was virtually irrelevant. The purpose of Chapter 180 was to impede gun ownership; first, by immediately eliminating as many licenses as possible and then to make issuance of new licenses far more difficult and burdensome. Period.

+1 I have heard a couple of MA law makers literally say they hoped they could legislate gun ownership out of MA with 180. They had no reservations on the issue speaking about it publicly.

 

[Len-2A Training]

BULL.

Money was virtually irrelevant. The purpose of Chapter 180 was to impede gun ownership; first, by immediately eliminating as many licenses as possible and then to make issuance of new licenses far more difficult and burdensome. Period.

You are 150% correct, but that is only obvious to those of us that have had the misfortune of meeting/talking with the people who wrote that bill. To those "looking in from the outside" it all sounds like a money grab. Reality is that if nobody qualified for a LTC or FID, the mission of the writers of Chapter 180 would have been celebrated as a resounding success . . . they didn't care about money or what it cost the state in administration or lost revenue, not for a NY Second.

 

[Coyote33]

I update them on THIS PAGE as we get the info from the State House.

The "Committee Report" column is the latest status as we know it, if anyone knows anything in addition please shoot me a PM.

Thanks

Thanks for that. It would be nice if they were grouped by committee, or sortable by clicking the header, so we can call one committee and have all the bills together which fall under that committee. Thanks again!

 

[cekim]

Yes they can legally revoke/suspend LTCs for no cause . . . or claim that some crisis makes all holders "unsuitable". By the time that a few people get a court hearing a year or more later, the guns are gone, etc.

Now they can't legally revoke/suspend FIDs for no cause, but that's never fazed them before. I'm sure that MCOPA would come up with a justifiable (to them) way to do this.

Hopefully, they will be concerned about 100's of lawsuits (and the jail time/fines mentioned in the law) afterward, but maybe they wouldn't. This is why we should be more litigious about such things. They are more afraid of the liberal lunatics than they are of us in the courts.