There's a link to a newspaper saying that Massachusetts may liberalize its extremely arbitrary "may-issue" gun permits. My dad's hometown of West Boylston, Mass., just north of Worcester, is quite easy to have the required police chief signing off on a citizen's request for a concealed carry permit. But my good friend Mike, from North Andover, isn't so lucky. His police chief is notoriously niggardly about signing off on it.
The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reads:
The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reads:
A House bill to reform and simplify Massachusetts' firearm licensing laws is a welcome step toward protecting the rights of law-abiding citizens, preventing dangerous persons from obtaining weapons, and clarifying the ambiguous language that led to the death of an 8-year-old boy at a Westfield gun show in 2008.
House Bill 2259, presented by state Rep. George N. Peterson Jr., R-Grafton, received a favorable hearing on Beacon Hill last week. The bill enjoys bipartisan support, including that of Sen. James Timilty, D-Walpole, chairman of the Senate's Public Safety Committee.
The bill recognizes the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, in which D.C.'s ban on handgun ownership was struck down. The Massachusetts bill reads: "The right to keep and bear arms as an individual civil right shall be presumed to exist ... unless expressly prohibited by the laws of this Commonwealth."
The bill would simplify the process of obtaining a firearm license by consolidating issuing authority with the state Executive Office of Public Safety, while police chiefs would serve as licensing agents. Under current law, each community's chief holds the power to issue licenses -- leading to a system where law-abiding persons find it relatively easy to obtain a firearms license in some communities, yet nearly impossible in others.
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