by Holden Corcoran
Author's Note: This past summer, I had the opportunity to intern under Representative McMurtry from Dedham. As part of the internship, I was able to attend varies hearings for bills moving through the legislature. Below are a few bills that I heard about while in the statehouse that are worth keeping an eye on. With so much media coverage over what happens in Washington D.C., it is easy to lose sight of what is happening at our own State House. The legislature passed by Representatives and Senators of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has more potential to directly influence an individual's life than many pieces of federal legislation. Here are a few bills currently pending that you can keep an eye on as they work their way through the Massachusetts Legislature. H. 3081 H. 3081 is a bill relative to extreme risk protection orders for gun owners, sponsored by Representative Linsky from Natick. The Bill calls for extreme risk protection orders to be placed on mentally unstable individuals, in which any firearms they have in their possession would be taken away. A court order would be issued so that the mentally unstable person, along with anyone else residing with said person, would have their weapons removed. This bill is interesting as it deals with a hotly debated issue nationwide. Amid frequent shootings across the country, the typical cause seems to be a mentally unstable person who should not have access to firearms. Perhaps they were mentally stable when they purchased the firearms, but now are not. As any firearm legislation, firearm owners are concerned this will intrude on their second amendment rights. That being said, the Massachusetts Legislature has a history of passing gun control legislation. While there is no federal bill that deals with extreme risk protection orders, Massachusetts joins other states in proposing such legislation. Bill S. 96 S. 96 is a bill relative to the right to repair for consumers. Currently, consumers do not have the right or tools necessary to fix their own devices such as cars, laptops, cellphones, tablets, etc. This bill aims to obligate manufactures to make diagnostic and repair tools available to consumers. Initially proposed on the federal level, Massachusetts is the first state to make a push for the bill's success since its failure in Congress. Passed with 86% approval in the 2012 general election, the Massachusetts Right to Repair Initiative is supported by the vast majority of Massachusetts residents. Pay attention to this bill, as it could drastically save you time and money while fixing your device. S. 1305 S. 1305 is a bill relative to the Safe Communities Act. S.1305 would ensure Massachusetts tax dollars do not go towards forming a Muslim registry, or deporting illegal immigrant families. The bill would also prevent law enforcement officers from performing “inquiries, investigations, raids, arrests or detentions that are based solely on immigration status.” In light of actions taken on the federal level, this bill offers an interesting look as to how the state legislature can play a larger role in terms of federal legislature. This bill is drafted in opposition to President Trump’s proposed plans to create a Muslim Registry, and to deport illegal immigrants en masse. There have been several bills of similar nature proposed on the federal level. Bill S. 54 would prohibit the registry, while Bill S.248 would prevent an Executive order dealing with the restriction of muslims entering the country. These are both proposed bills and have not yet been passed in the house. If you would like to follow the progression of any of these bills, you can go to malegislature.gov and search for the bill numbers mentioned above. The website will give you comprehensive information about the bill, including the progression of the bill, which state representatives or senators have sponsored or signed onto it, and what exactly each bill entails.