Message From Our Chairman Toby Leary
491 Days to “Independence Day II”
As summer approaches and we prepare to celebrate Independence Day, the Civil Rights Coalition is still pressing forward. While others pause, many of our volunteers keep moving—because protecting our rights & freedom doesn’t take a vacation. 491 days may seem like a long time, but the truth is: we don’t have a day to waste. To win in November 2026, we need 1.51 million votes—and we need to know who they are, where they are, and how to reach them.
They say every battle is won or lost before it’s ever fought. The work we do now—organizing, identifying, educating, and inspiring—will decide the outcome long before voters cast their ballots.
This isn’t just about guns. It’s about standing up to a government that’s forgotten who it works for. Chapter 135 is a warning shot at all our freedoms—and even though we may say “The Election is far away… we can’t sit back. Complacency and waiting for others to fight the fight is not an option for us. We need to keep the largest grassroots movement Massachusetts has seen in decades… alive! We cannot rest!
So, enjoy your Independence Day—but don’t forget what we’re fighting to preserve. With your help, we’ll make history.
Toby Leary
Chairman
The Civil Rights Coalition Join us. Volunteer. Donate
Legislative Spotlight
✅ Senator Peter Durant’s Repeal Bill (S.1671)
We’re proud to support Senator Peter Durant’s repeal bill S.1671. A committee hearing is expected this summer or early fall. We will be there—and we encourage you to join us. Make sure your Rep & State Senator Co-Sponsor this bill to Repeal Chapter 135. Beacon Hill must hear the people’s voice. We will keep you informed.
✅ Registration & Serialization Mandates
We presented detailed testimony exposing Chapter 135’s dangerous mandates:
🔒 Self-Incrimination Risks: Many FID holders now face felony liability if they don’t get an LTC. Soon, we must register all legally owned firearms—without any grandfathering or amnesty
📇 State is creating a “Door Dash for Criminals” – Forced registration of all personal information and every firearm into an online system that will be hacked! Compliant citizens end up in CJIS alongside violent felons, violating privacy and presumption of innocence.
🛠 Pre-Serialization Mandate: Even unfinished parts (e.g., 80% frames, homemade firearms) must be serialized & registered before functional—an impossible and oppressive requirement.
💥 Value Destruction: Antique and collectible firearms lose historical and monetary value without compensation.
🚫 Unrealistic Deadlines: EOPSS was given no resources to implement the digital registration system by imposed deadlines—creating a trap for failure.
🚫 Discriminates against those who don’t have high-speed Internet or computer expertise
✅ Live Fire Requirement
We testified that mandatory live-fire training disproportionately impacts low-income, urban, and elderly residents—something more about exclusion than public safety. The lack of ranges, the costs, the vagueness of the regs are intentional barriers to exercising the 2nd Amendment.
🌐 Website Relaunch:
TheCivilRightsCoalition.com Our website has been updated with a new look, greater functionality and to dominate search results. It serves as a central command for information, action, and campaign coordination. 🔹 What’s New:
✅ Intuitive navigation & mobile-friendly design
✅ Issue breakdowns, Action Items, Volunteer and Donation portals,
✅ Up-to-date legal and press resources
🔹 Coming Soon:
🎬 Video testimonies and campaign updates
📍 Visit today: TheCivilRightsCoalition.com
Transparency in Action – We called them out!
✅ A ballot committee has been set up to oppose our repeal… and it turns out AG Campbell seeded its Executive Director with $50K in taxpayer money. On June 24, we asked U.S. Attorney Leah Belaire Foley to investigate whether Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s $50,000 grant to Ruth Zakarin—who then quickly launched the “Yes for a Safe Massachusetts” ballot committee—constitutes a misuse of public funds. Toby Leary: “It is too coincidental… we must work to protect our tax dollars from being abused.” While the Ethics Commission saw no conflict, we believe federal oversight is necessary. READ HERE
National Outreach to Gun Manufacturers
✅ We’re sounding the alarm across the firearms industry: Massachusetts is the test state—if we lose, wave of infringement follows across the country. Our letter to manufacturers warns that Chapter 135: Mandates state pre‑approval of models Roster requirements for Rifles and Shotguns will ban popular firearms/accessories Harms dealers and hunters We’re looking for industry allies to stand with us—financially and operationally. Ground Game & Voter ID for 2026
✅ We continue working behind the scenes to identify and activate likely voters for November 2026. We’re deploying data-driven voter targeting, using voter file analytics, microtargeting, and predictive modeling. This strategic groundwork helps us: Profile mid‑propensity and independent voters Profile mid‑propensity and independent voters Tailor localized messaging based on demographics Plan volunteer canvassing, mailers, digital ads, and phone/text outreach This isn’t just preparation—it’s a proactive movement-building effort. We must make sure every gun owner is registered to vote!
Many gun owners, think they are registered and don’t realize they have been made “INACTIVE”. Take one-minute and check your registration!
📢 Media & Messaging Highlights
- The Boston Herald covered our testimony at the Registration & Serialization Public Hearing held by EOPSS
- Issued “It’s Not Gun Violence… It’s Gang Violence” Paper Debunked inflated “child gun death” stats leveraged by Bloomberg-funded groups
- We continue to respond to any “Letters to the Editor” that push the anti-gun propaganda.
- Latest Op-Ed “Chapter 135 Solves Nothing”
- On June 5th, we sent an educational email to all media in Massachusetts in an attempt to educate them with facts and data on many of the dangerous contents of Chapter 135. It seems to have been received well.
Independent Group Efforts BUMPER STICKERS
We were pleased to learn that the MA Conservation Alliance has created their own Bumper Stickers for the Repeal Chapter 135 Effort. We love it! – sold in packs of 50 bumper stickers for $50 each plus shipping/handling via USPS
Email: [email protected] or txt/sms 508-631-8883 for more details.
We Need Some Key Volunteers Now! We still have no hired employees. Our heartbeat are our volunteers. We have an immediate need for volunteers familiar with Video Creation, Social Media, Tic Toc and Event Planning. If you have experience in cartoons, we would love to talk! Just a couple of hours a week will help more than you know. Please consider volunteering your time.
Social Media
Be a 30 second promoter every day! SUBSCRIBE. LIKE. SHARE. Every time you like or share a post, it boosts its rating and the more likely others we see it.
In conclusion, we once again would like to thank each and every one of you. The Campaign war chest continues to build, our volunteers are the best in the world, and we are slowly changing the hearts and minds of Massachusetts Voters. We will prevail!
We hope you and your entire family have a wonderful July 4th. Happy Independence Day!
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