r/massachusetts • u/HAV816 • 1d ago

Photo Question 9 cont…

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Question 9 is a veto referendum on the 2024 gun law (Chapter 135): a NO vote repeals it. But here is what does not change either way — Massachusetts still requires a license to own or carry, and safety training to get one. Repeal the law and the pre-2024 rules remain, among the strictest in the country: licenses required, safety training required, sales tracked, red-flag petitions in place.

The 2024 law adds burdens on lawful owners — serialization requirements, expanded bans, a real-time registry — without creating the training standard. Training was required before this law, and it stays required whether the law is repealed or not.
Learn the facts

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u/Catsooey 1d ago

So true. One of the things that bothers me about these laws is that it creates problems for law abiding citizens but does very little to stop criminals. Criminals don’t follow the law in the first place. They have their own network and supply chain. If you want to increase penalties for gun possession for convicted felons that’s another issue. Even the laws against convicted felons seems wrong. The law should affect felons convicted of violent crimes imo. The one regulation I think is good though is the safety course. Anyone who owns a gun needs to know how it works and what not to do (such as never pointing it at anyone unless you need to defend your or someone else’s life).

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u/Hoolivoo42 1d ago

You were required to take a safety course with the previous law. This new law requires a live fire component, while a good idea in theory, in practice it effectively make it nearly impossible to comply with because there are next to zero public ranges in the state (most ranges are private and require membership) or are not easily accessible to people who may rely on public transportation, or are too far away for most in the state to access.