Task Force Recommends 44 Ways To Toughen Mass. Gun Laws

Sarah Birnbaum is WGBH Radio’s political and State House reporter. When she’s not on the campaign trail, she loves telling stories about health care and education policy, and all the issues that come through the Legislature that matter to voters.

February 03, 2014

Updated January 09, 2016

A new report released Monday by a Massachusetts task force issued 44 recommendations to toughen gun control laws in the state.

The task force was formed by House Speaker Robert DeLeo after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.

One recommendation was for a uniform set of gun licensing requirements. Right now, permitting rules are different from town to town.

Another recommendation was for all gun sales between private parties and at gun shows to go through licensed dealers, so they can run background checks.

The panel rejected Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick’s proposal to limit purchasers to one gun per month. David Hemenway is a Harvard economist and member of the task force:

“Who needs one gun per month laws are states which export crime guns and that is not Massachusetts. We are an importer of crime guns,” Hemenway said.

Jim Wallace, of the Gun Owners Action League, denounced the report.

“In the report, it does not anywhere mention the abject failure of the Massachusetts gun laws to decrease crime."

House Speaker DeLeo said the recommendations will be the basis for new gun control legislation. He says the House will take up the bill by this summer.