Massachusetts voters will have a rare chance this November: the option to roll back a slate of gun‑control laws in one of the bluest states in the country.
The ballot is crowded, nine questions total, including a push from liberal groups to replace party primaries with a jungle primary system. But tucked among them is Question 9, a direct challenge to the legislature’s sweeping gun‑control package passed several years ago.
Question 9 targets House Bill 4885, a law that piled on restrictions across nearly every corner of firearm ownership. The measure would repeal HB 4885’s major provisions, including:
- Creation of an electronic firearm‑tracking system
- A statewide ban on so‑called “assault weapons”
- Mandatory safety certificates to obtain a firearm permit
- Serialized parts requirements for so‑called “ghost guns”
- Expanded Red Flag authority for school officials and medical providers
- Firearm seizure orders tied to Harassment Protection Orders
The ballot language is simple:
- Voting “no” on Question 9 repeals HB 4885’s anti‑Second Amendment measures.
- Voting “yes” keeps all of them in place.
Gun owners didn’t stumble into this fight. They gathered nearly 90,000 signatures, more than double the 37,000 required, to force Question 9 onto the ballot. Repeal in Massachusetts is an uphill climb, but the sheer volume of signatures shows the issue has more energy behind it than state leaders expected.
Voters will now decide whether HB 4885 stands or falls.
Note: Thumbnail image is from Cape Gun Works Facebook page.
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