Bill To Make Buying Pepper Spray, Mace Easier In Mass. Stuck In Legislative Limbo

Rob Boudrie said:
Reducing the regulation and control on anything is so totally against the instincts of the MA legislature that they don't have a clue how to make it happen. It just goes against their nature.
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This state/region has had such an affliction from before this nation existed. They don't know how to mind their own business and never distance themselves from the trappings of monarchy. In fact, they were forced by other states in the original union to give up more than they had planned in this regard. They tried for many decades to restore monarchy here directly. When that failed, it seems they shifted their focus to Oligarchy...
 
Rob Boudrie said:
Reducing the regulation and control on anything is so totally against the instincts of the MA legislature that they don't have a clue how to make it happen. It just goes against their nature.
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...and so is the insidious nature of government, an ever tightening noose. There are generally no laws telling you what you CAN do, only telling you what you cannot, or must do. Every person elected, no matter their ideology, has an unwritten need to do... something. They can't hardly sit there for four years and then run for re-election on the platform that they've done absolutely nothing during their tenure because everything was perfect... and so they champion... something. It's a never ending cycle of either adding something new, or augmenting something that exists already.

Making something go away, no matter how moronic it is, is foreign to them. They cannot risk supporting the repeal of licensing for pepper spray, because while it may help thousands, and likely save hundreds, some meatball will screw up somewhere and mace his mailman or some crap, and any pol that supported the repeal will have it thrust in their face by their opponent come re-election time.
 
I think I'll only vote for the person that wants to go to Washington and get rid of unnecessary law, making life easier for the masses. (that's us)
Guess I'm not ever voting again.
 
Apparently it's moving now.

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinio...an_pepper_spray_victory_creates_unlikely_bond

Wallace and GOAL pushed an amendment to the much-needed bill strengthening domestic violence laws. It would allow anyone over 18 to buy pepper spray without a Firearms Identification Card.
The House, though largely populated by anti-gun nuts like me, voted 142-0 Tuesday to pass the bill, including GOAL’s amendment. The bill now goes to a joint House and Senate committee to hammer out differences, said Laura Oggeri, spokeswoman for Senate President Therese Murray. A final bill will go back to both houses and then to Gov. Deval Patrick for his signature.
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Mike S said:
Yep, they passed the upskirt bill in 32 hours in order to stop voyeurs.

The pepper spray bill, it's now been over 3 years, apparently the MA Legislature is more interested in stopping voyeurs than rapists.
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This one bears repeating. I was trying to think of how you worded this when I tried saying it to someone else. You nailed it with this one, Mike!
 
cekim said:
anti-gun politicians are pro-rape. They have made that clear and we should make clear that we understand this as well...
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The question is, how to get it out to the public? News obviously isn't working. Would GOAL reconsider doing a billboard?
 
Coyote33 said:
The question is, how to get it out to the public? News obviously isn't working. Would GOAL reconsider doing a billboard?
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No. As Treasurer I would oppose such an action as being a less than wise use of our limited funds.

THe bill has passed the house and will now be voted on by the Senate. It has received considerable coverage in the local media.
 
I'm with Bob. Billboards won't change legislative votes!

There are many things that can be done with little to no money involved that has the potential to change votes. Those are the avenues that should be explored.

HINT (not specifically aimed at GOAL): In my town every time there is a open town meeting vote for an override for the schools, the schools reach out to the students to "influence" their parents to come out to vote "or else" nobody in town will get admitted to college (the threat). Students who are clueless about the real issues are always at the school handing stuff to people attending town meeting pleading for them to vote for their schools. This mechanism works here 100% of the time!!

Taking a page from that playbook:

If female college students "influenced" their parents to contact legistraitors to vote for the OC bill due to rapes/attacks/robberies on/near college campuses . . . and the parents followed thru, how do you think that pressure might weigh on legistraitors to vote?? [LOTS of bad things happen on/near college campuses. Much of it is swept under the rug and not reported properly so that it doesn't negatively affect college recruitment. Meanwhile most students know what REALLY goes on in their neighborhoods!]

Just a thought (I'm sure that others have other ideas that might work similarly).
 
LenS said:
I'm with Bob. Billboards won't change legislative votes!

There are many things that can be done with little to no money involved that has the potential to change votes. Those are the avenues that should be explored.

HINT (not specifically aimed at GOAL): In my town every time there is a open town meeting vote for an override for the schools, the schools reach out to the students to "influence" their parents to come out to vote "or else" nobody in town will get admitted to college (the threat). Students who are clueless about the real issues are always at the school handing stuff to people attending town meeting pleading for them to vote for their schools. This mechanism works here 100% of the time!!

Taking a page from that playbook:

If female college students "influenced" their parents to contact legistraitors to vote for the OC bill due to rapes/attacks/robberies on/near college campuses . . . and the parents followed thru, how do you think that pressure might weigh on legistraitors to vote?? [LOTS of bad things happen on/near college campuses. Much of it is swept under the rug and not reported properly so that it doesn't negatively affect college recruitment. Meanwhile most students know what REALLY goes on in their neighborhoods!]

Just a thought (I'm sure that others have other ideas that might work similarly).
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I like it!
 
From page 4 of GOAL's latest newspaper

the bill now known as S.1897 was already worked on by the Senate and their version is different from the House’s.

As a result the two versions willbe worked on through a conference committee of three Senate members and three House members. GOAL will work with the conference committee in hopes that the pepper spray language will remain in the final product
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Out here in western mass, channel 22 news at 6:00 said there are changes to the mass gun laws, which includes pepper spray, no firearm ID required. They said more news at 11 pm, so I'm guessing it must have passed.
 
RHJJ said:
Baby steps in this state.
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I am used to fetus steps in the state of Mass.

Baby steps maybe, but this is a relatively big deal in Mass.

If people get trained in pepper spray they can do a lot to help themselves if need be instead of being defenseless.

Just like guns, there may be a few negligent discharges or spray sprees, but the big picture is that more lives will be saved overall.
 
Palladin said:
test of Amendment passed by the Senate

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/188/Senate/S4/Amendment/Senate/631/Text
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Good link- thanks. I did a quick read and have some questions.

What is the purpose of this amendment that was added by the senate, it is the 2nd to last change.

(c) A Class A and a Class B license shall each be valid for the purpose of owning, possessing, purchasing and transferring non-large capacity rifles and shotguns, consistent with the entitlements conferred by a firearm identification card issued under section 129B.
 
here's another good provision

Section 122D. No person shall purchase or possess self-defense spray who: ...

(iii) has been confined to any hospital or institution for mental illness unless the person obtains, prior to purchase or possession, an affidavit of a registered physician attesting that such physician is familiar with the applicant's mental illness and that in such physician's opinion the applicant is not disabled by such an illness in a manner that should prevent the applicant from possessing self-defense spray;

two unrelated questions:

A) So suppose you have an LTC A, and are treated for a mental illness. Among your handguns and rifles you also own some pepper spray that was acquired prior to your illness. Under this law, possession of the pepper spray is now illegal and exposes you to 2 years in prison. Is there a similar provision in the firearms laws? In other words illegal for pepper spray, ok to posses firearms?

B) treated for mental illness-If you only possessed pepper spray (no license required) - Are you supposed to send the doctors affidavit somewhere or just keep it on record ? Seems dumb.
 
What a bullcrap! Even in our overregulated neck of the woods, acquisition and carrying of "certified defense spray" is legal from the age of 14 - no license BS. My daughter carries OC, I'd rather see her carrying a pistol.
 
szaino said:
Good link- thanks. I did a quick read and have some questions.

What is the purpose of this amendment that was added by the senate, it is the 2nd to last change.

(c) A Class A and a Class B license shall each be valid for the purpose of owning, possessing, purchasing and transferring non-large capacity rifles and shotguns, consistent with the entitlements conferred by a firearm identification card issued under section 129B.
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It merely removes the verbiage currently contained in MGL 140-131(c) as it relates to self-defense sprays, like so...

MGL 140-131 said:
(c) Either a Class A or Class B license shall be valid for the purpose of owning, possessing, purchasing and transferring non-large capacity rifles and shotguns,[STRIKE=.] and for purchasing and possessing chemical mace, pepper spray or other similarly propelled liquid, gas or powder designed to temporarily incapacitate[/STRIKE], consistent with the entitlements conferred by a firearm identification card issued under section 129B.
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https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter140/Section131
 

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