Blog: 'Moms Demand Action Week' Kicks Off April 1

The group seeks "new and stronger gun laws in America."

Somerville Police Chief: Gun Laws in Neighboring States Affect Massachusetts

Thomas Pasquarello, Somerville's chief of police, said the city is aggressive about pursuing guns, but "gun control is [best] left to the politicians."

As the nation has a broader conversation about gun laws and gun control, Somerville Police Chief Thomas Pasquarello said, "Gun control is [best] left to the politicians to decide." That said, "You have to have a consistent policy and you need to have your neighboring states in unison," the police chief said, speaking after a Board of Aldermen meeting on Feb. 14. Of the New England states, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine are "more liberal in their approach to gun control" than Massachusetts, Pasquarello said. Sometimes, weapons from those states "fall into the hands of criminals," he said. Pasquarello said Somerville police "look for guns on everything"—a simple traffic stop, for instance, could lead to the discovery of guns, he said. …

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Agree With Patrick's Proposed Gun Restrictions and Boost to Mental Health Services?

Gov. Deval Patrick unveiled legislation on Wednesday that would tighten gun control laws in Massachusetts while increasing funding for mental health services and enhance background checks. Is this sensible, or reactionary?

Are new proposed laws regarding guns in Massachusetts and mental health services sensible and pragmatic steps, or reactionary measures that won't increase safety? Gov. Deval Patrick introduced new legislation Wednesday along those lines in the wake of the school shootings in Newtown, CT. "I am encouraged by the palpable consensus in our Legislature that the time for action is now. All of us must pull in the same direction to bring about real change in this state and across the country," Patrick said in a press release.  The bill would require gun purchasers to undergo background checks at gun shows, reduce access to high-powered rounds of ammunition, and limit licensed individuals to purchasing a maximum of one gun per month. Punishments …

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Should Massachusetts Gun Control Laws be Loosened?

A Massachusetts gun owners group is lobbying for passage of a bill that would confer lifetime gun licenses—no renewals necessary.

Way too much red tape. That's the complaint of the Gun Owners’ Action League of Massachusetts, a group that is urging passage of a law that would abolish the requirement of having to renew a gun permit every six years, according to the Boston Herald. For comparison, Massachusetts vehicle drivers' licenses need to be renewed every five years. But the league says local police cannot keep up with timely gun permit renewals, and legitimate gunowners go license-less until the cops get time to do the paperwork.  The law now allows 40 days for turning around license applications. In Boston, almost 1,000 people have applied for gun permits so far this year, with waits running about 10 weeks, the Herald quotes police spokeswoman Cheryl Fiandaca as …

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