Mass. will get an ‘A’ in gun security for first time from Giffords Middle

Massachusetts has lengthy been acknowledged for having robust gun legal guidelines, and on Tuesday, the state for the primary time earned an “A” ranking from the Giffords Legislation Middle, a gun violence prevention group. 

Every year, the group releases a scorecard grading and rating every state on its gun legal guidelines, in contrast alongside information from the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention on firearm deaths.

“Massachusetts has among the strongest gun legal guidelines within the nation and leads the nation in investing in group violence intervention methods,” the group wrote.

The state was ranked fifth out of fifty for the power of its gun legal guidelines, based on the Gifford Middle. It was additionally the state with the bottom gun dying price, 3.7 per 100,000. 

For years, Massachusetts was given an “A-” within the rankings. In line with the Giffords Middle, there have been a number of adjustments from final yr that resulted within the state’s modified grade, together with the banning of ghost weapons, the prohibition of weapons at polling locations and authorities buildings, the strengthening of the state’s present excessive threat safety order regulation, and the funding of $48 million in group violence intervention applications. 

The majority of these adjustments had been within the sweeping gun security laws that Gov. Maura Healey signed earlier this yr following its approval by the Legislature. Opponents of the brand new regulation say they want to problem the mandates with a poll query earlier than voters in 2026.

Even with the adjustments made in 2024, the Gifford Middle indicated in its scorecard for Massachusetts that extra can nonetheless be executed to enhance gun security within the state, particularly by passing gun business accountability laws, limiting the majority gross sales of firearms, minimal age restrictions, and banning weapons in bars. 

“In 2022, Massachusetts had the second lowest gun dying price among the many states,” the group wrote. “In a mean yr, 257 individuals die from gun violence within the state. Which means somebody dies from gun violence each 34 hours. Fifty-five % of these deaths are gun suicides, and 42% are gun homicides.”