Gun Lobby Donates $100,000 to Massachusetts GOAL to Challenge New Gun Control Law

Opinion

National Shooting Sports Foundation, the Firearm Industry Trade Association, donated $100,000 to Massachusetts Gun Owners’ Action League (GOAL) to support a legal challenge to the new onerous gun control law that was passed by the state legislature and signed by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey. The donation will support the legal fight against the hulking gun control law that severely restricts lawful firearm ownership and creates a bureaucratic maze of licensing requirements that have still yet to be defined.

The law, H. 4885 – also known now as Chapter 135 – is clearly unconstitutional. The legislation was drafted in secret, even denying access to all Massachusetts lawmakers.

The final draft was crafted behind closed doors, without input from NSSF or other firearm owner advocacy groups.

“Massachusetts is known as a birthplace of the American Revolution, but these lawmakers have turned their backs to rights that belong to the people and instead are instituting an Orwellian state over the citizens of the Commonwealth,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “The fight to protect liberty and individual rights begins anew and we are confident that when federal courts apply scrutiny to this law, it will be relegated to the trash bin where it belongs. Massachusetts lawmakers are failing to defend the rights of the people and instead are kowtowing to the special-interest gun control machine that funds their perpetual re-elections.”

“Without a doubt Chapter 135, we now call The Devil’s Snare, represents the greatest attack on civil rights in modern United States history,” said Jim Wallace Executive Director of Gun Owners’ Action League. “For over a year, the supporters of this law have violated and suspended nearly every rule regarding an open legislative process. The final drafting of the bill was done in secret and the final language was not provided to the public, or legislators, until the night before the vote. Clearly the supporters understood the unconstitutional language would never survive the light of day and serious scrutiny. We would like to thank NSSF for helping us fight back against this historic attack on the Bill of Rights.”

Gov. Healey said the U.S. Supreme Court’s Bruen decision, which found New York’s firearm permitting scheme to be unconstitutional and chastised lower courts for creating fabricated legal “tests” to decide if gun control laws passed Constitutional muster, posed a “grave danger to Americans as they go about their daily lives in public spaces.” State legislators responded to Gov. Healey’s demand for action and delivered a 116-page bill that expanded the state’s already strict ban on Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs), placed new restrictions on where law-abiding concealed carry permit holders could exercise their right to armed self-defense and mandated new standards and licensing requirements for citizens seeking a License to Carry.

Nothing in the new law addresses criminals or holds criminals accountable for their actions. Instead, Massachusetts’ H. 4885 – or Chapter 135 – introduces new barriers to lawful firearm ownership and the exercise of the rights to keep and bear arms, which are expressly protected by the U.S. Constitution.

Additional Bill Background:

The new bill from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts titled “An Act modernizing firearm laws” introduces several changes and new rules regarding firearm regulations. Here’s a summary of the key changes:

1. Firearm Contact and Licensing: Updates to existing laws clarify the conditions under which individuals may have contact with firearms, emphasizing stricter licensing and monitoring requirements.
2. Violence Prevention Fund: Establishes a Violence Prevention Federal Reinvestment Trust Fund, which will be used to enhance violence prevention and intervention services. The fund will be managed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
3. Updated Definitions: New definitions are introduced, such as “assault-style firearm,” “automatic conversion,” “automatic part,” and “privately made firearm.” These clarify the characteristics and legal distinctions of various firearms.
4. Firearm Registration System: A real-time electronic firearms registration system will be developed and maintained. All firearms in Massachusetts must be registered, and the registration must include specific details about the firearm and its owner.
5. Serialization of Firearms: All firearms must have a unique serial number that is permanently embedded. This includes privately made firearms, which must be serialized upon manufacture or assembly.
6. Restrictions on 3D Printing and CNC Milling: The bill imposes restrictions on the use of 3D printers and CNC milling machines for the manufacture of firearms without a valid license.
7. Data Collection and Publication: The Department of Criminal Justice Information Services will collect and publish data on firearm use in the state, including information on firearm-related violence and the issuance of firearm licenses.
8. Licensing and Permit Updates: The process for obtaining or renewing a firearm license or permit has been updated with new procedures, timelines, and conditions under which applications can be denied or revoked. This includes stricter criteria for determining if someone is a “prohibited person” or unsuitable for holding a firearm license.
9. Penalties for Non-Compliance: The bill outlines penalties for failing to register firearms, report transactions, or comply with the new regulations. Penalties include fines and possible imprisonment.

About The National Shooting Sports Foundation

NSSF is the trade association for the firearm industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of thousands of manufacturers, distributors, firearm retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations, and publishers nationwide. For more information, visit nssf.org