‘Red Flag’ bill faces opposition
Gun owners group blasts ‘horrible’ measure
Gun-rights activists are moving to defeat passage of a revised “red flag” gun bill scheduled for a House vote today on Beacon Hill.
The “extreme-risk” legislation, filed by state Rep. Marjorie Decker of Cambridge, would allow a family member, roommate or law enforcement official to petition the court to bar someone from owning a gun if they are deemed extremely dangerous.
“Massachusetts is a national leader on the issue of responsible gun legislation, and this bill provides family members with a way to temporarily remove dangerous weapons from the hands of those who pose a risk to themselves and others,” Decker said.
The proposal comes after a 17-year-old gunman opened fire at Santa Fe High School in Texas, killing 10 people and wounding 13 more last week and after 17 people were fatally shot at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida in February.
The updated bill includes strict requirements before a gun can be taken away and ensures due process, according to Decker’s office.
It would also require a strong burden of proof for a gun to be removed. For an emergency extreme-risk protection order, “reasonable cause” must be shown that the person poses a risk.
Jim Wallace, executive director of Gun Owners Action League Massachusetts, slammed the proposal as “horrible” arguing it does not include any mental health provisions pushed by his group.
“Everything we’ve been working on as far as mental health issues is useless now,” Wallace told the Herald. “You’re not voting on the same bill. We’re trying to educate lawmakers and the general public as fast as we can.”
Wallace said his organization is pushing lawmakers to defeat the bill if it comes up for a vote tomorrow.
Decker argued people are tired of gun rights advocates pushing against stricter gun laws.
“That is their M.O.,” Decker said. “What we are seeing in Massachusetts and around the country is people are tired of that. They are tired of students getting killed. The question is will GOAL and the NRA continue to fearmonger and distort this bill?”