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22m ·
Honorable Members –
Thank you for your attendance at last week’s leadership briefings and continued conversations regarding the House’s gun violence legislation. Many of your questions were centered around the challenging new legal landscape following the Bruen decision. I am thankful for the productive feedback that we received, as well as for the legislators and members of the public who participated in the 11 listening sessions around the Commonwealth. I would also like to offer my sincere gratitude to Chairman Michael Day for thoroughly engaging the public and putting forward such a thoughtful bill for our consideration.
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. While the House’s commitment to pursuing a comprehensive update remains steadfast, a new legal landscape will be the greatest threat to those efforts. That is why the House believes that we must thoroughly evaluate all of the proposals made in HD4420 over the Summer, and that House Members must have the chance to continue to speak with their constituents and provide feedback. House leadership will continue to work on the bill until it is ready for debate this Fall.
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. 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, despite the fact that just last year, the Senate insisted that a different late-filed bill proposing changes to our gun laws be referred to Judiciary instead of Public Safety. Regardless, you have my word that we will spend the ensuing weeks working with you to address concerns and questions you and your constituents may have about the proposed legislation.
As the House continues its efforts over August, we will work with the Membership, as well as with constituents, advocates and legal experts to ensure that our proposal will make Massachusetts safer, while also standing the test of time.
Sincerely –
Ron Mariano
House Speaker