The Senate on Thursday night approved a sweeping overhaul of state firearms laws, setting up talks with the House that could lead to a major new law later this spring or summer.
The Senate bill seeks to rein in untraceable ghost guns, bans carrying firearms in government administrative buildings, gives firearm licensing authorities access to some of an applicant’s mental health hospitalization history, and expands the list of people who can petition the court to take away someone’s guns if they are deemed dangerous. It passed the Senate on a 37-3 vote shortly after 8 p.m.
“Although proud that Massachusetts has one of the lowest rates of gun violence in the nation, the members of this body are concerned by every incident of gun violence, every firearm suicide, and every accidental gun injury that occurs in the commonwealth,” said Sen. Cindy Creem of Newton, the main author of the bill.
The package filed by Majority Leader Creem hit the Senate floor at 12:30 p.m. Thursday and Minority Leader Bruce Tarr wasted no time pointing out some of the issues that Republicans see with the bill, including that it did not get its own public hearing.