Gun reform bill jammed on Beacon Hill
Caught between 2 committees, sponsor has ‘no idea’ when it could move
A top House Democrat behind major gun reform legislation said the bill is still locked up in an interbranch procedural dispute even as House Speaker Ronald Mariano said last week he wants his chamber to pass the bill by the end of the month.
Judiciary Committee CoChair Rep. Michael Day said he has “no idea” when his omnibus firearms bill will make it to the House floor for a vote. The legislation tackles unregistered ghost guns, illegal firearms, gun violence, and responds to a U.S. Supreme Court decision on licenses to carry publicly.
Day said he has not had any discussions with Senate leaders “at this stage” to resolve a procedural backand-forth over what legislative committee will take possession of the bill for a public hearing.
The House tried to send it to the Judiciary Committee while the Senate instead wanted the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, chaired by Democrats Rep. Carlos González and Sen. Walter Timilty, to review the proposal.
“It’s a dispute between the chambers right now and that’s kind of where it sits, as far as I know,” Day told reporters outside of his office on Tuesday, hours before an electrical fire. “This bill, I think, is urgent to move quickly, given what’s going on in Massachusetts and the United States. We’re losing people on a daily basis right now. And the longer we sit on this bill, I think, the less service we’re doing to our constituents.”
Senate leaders said they are committed to holding a public hearing “as soon as next week” on all gun-related bills before the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee.
“We must honor the many, many voices who have played a role in helping to craft the 47 gun bills currently referred to the committee, and ensure that all voices are heard before any decisions are made,” Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Creem, Judiciary Committee Co-Chair James Eldridge, and Timilty said in a joint statement.
The trio said they “hope” the House will agree with them and “join us” in holding a hearing on “all gun safety legislation next week.”
“We believe that the best way to ensure that our gun safety laws are comprehensive, thoughtful, and thoroughly vetted is to first allow for a full and open public hearing process that will lead to stronger laws to hold those who engage in crime accountable,” the statement said.
House Democrats have said they are exploring options to advance the bill before the August recess, even if it means bypassing the joint committee process and the need for a public hearing.