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News Release
Common Sense Gun Safety Bill Would Preserve Assault Weapons Ban Bill rejects attempts to weaken current prohibition on guns for convicted criminals (BOSTON) With a federal assault weapons ban set to expire in September because of inaction by President Bush and a Republican Congress, legislators and gun safety advocates today unveiled the details of a bill sponsored by Senator Jarrett T. Barrios (D-Cambridge) that will maintain the state's landmark assault weapons ban and prohibit the sale or transfer by dealers of assault weapons owned prior to 1994. At a Thursday morning press conference the State Police Association of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police also urged legislators to oppose proposed amendments that would weaken the toughest-in-the-nation Massachusetts law prohibiting convicted criminals from owning and possessing firearms. "Massachusetts' gun laws protect our streets and communities by keeping guns out of the hands of criminals," said Senator Jarrett T. Barrios. "We must act now to preserve the assault weapons ban and reject any attempt to drastically debilitate our state's landmark gun safety law." "The Massachusetts Chiefs of Police are here today to oppose any attempt to water down the Massachusetts gun laws and make it easier for violent criminals to obtain gun licenses," said Revere Police Chief Terence Reardon reading a statement release by the organization. "Guns and domestic and sexual violence are a lethal combination, killing and injuring women, men and children every day," said Toni Troop, Director of Public Relations at Jane Doe, Inc. "The evidence is clear and without passage of this legislation to keep guns out of the hands of batterers, victims of domestic and sexual violence are put in grave danger." The Senate began debating the omnibus gun bill -- released in March by the Joint Committee on Public Safety -- at Thursday's formal session, though a final vote may not happen for another week. Highlighting a concern of many gun owners since the end of lifetime licensing, the gun safety legislation unveiled today contains a provision to create a 90-day grace period for residents that are re-applying for a Firearms Identification Cards (FIDs) or License to Carry (LTC), giving gun owner legal leeway in case of backlogs. Attorney General Tom Reilly also weighed into the issue Wednesday by sending a letter to all forty Senator expressing his support for the assault weapons bill. In addition to Reilly, gun safety and domestic violence advocates expressed their support for the assault weapons ban at today's press conference, including John Rosenthal of Stop Handgun Violence and Betsy Baggia of Million Mom March. ### |
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10-Jul-2006 10:29 AM The Jarrett Barrios
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