Repeal and Restore 1-9-2025
Coalition Joins with Senator Durant in Working to Repeal Flawed Law
Boston, MA. . .Today at the State House Toby Leary, the Chairman of The Civil Rights Coalition, announced his organization’s support for Senator Peter Durant’s effort to repeal the grossly flawed An Act for Modernizing Firearm Laws (Chapter 135) in order to restore Constitutional Rights in Massachusetts.
“I am proud to stand with State Senator Peter Durant, who takes a courageous and essential step forward by filing a bill to repeal Chapter 135. This moment is critical—a second chance for lawmakers to amend a grave error that has proven both costly and chaotic for the Commonwealth. Already sections have had to be postponed because they are unworkable. We have been proven right! It is now time for legislators to do their Constitutional duties by repealing the law,” said Leary.
Since its enactment, Chapter 135 has sowed confusion and discord. Estimates suggest that over 20,000 law-abiding gun owners, who previously adhered to every regulation, could now be labeled as felons under its FID and LTC provisions. Urban communities, in particular, have borne the brunt of this law’s onerous requirements, making it nearly impossible for individuals with limited time or financial resources to lawfully own a firearm.
Hastily passed and riddled with flaws, this law has already forced the state to suspend three sections due to its impractical provisions. Moreover, it faces multiple lawsuits challenging its constitutionality and fairness.
Leary and his organization express deep concern about the law creating a hackable, state-controlled database to track gun owners and their families putting them in danger. “Creating a database would be dangerous for law abiding gun owners. It would paint a target on their backs. Imagine a database capturing every detail of someone’s life, scrutinized and monitored simply because they own a firearm, use social media, or subscribe to a local newspaper. No rational American would accept such an injustice,” said Leary.
“At its heart, this law unjustly targets law-abiding citizens—the very individuals who are least responsible for violent crime. People have been burned alive on subways, run down by vehicles, and killed by homemade explosives. Guns were not the culprits in these atrocities—people were,” said Leary. “Locally, shootings in Springfield, Worcester and Boston are all heinous acts, all committed by gang members as young as 12 who have no sense and no regard for the laws we pass. Chapter 135 does nothing to stop or even prevent these violent crimes. Meanwhile, the growing threat of illegal immigrants violating multiple gun and drug laws only adds to the chaos. Our citizens should have the right to protect themselves.”
“Senator Durant’s bill offers us a rare opportunity to come together as a state, to reject divisive and ineffective policies, and to focus on what truly matters: addressing the real issues that threaten our safety and our future,” added Leary.
For more information about The Civil Rights Coalition and our ongoing efforts, visit https://thecivilrightscoalition.com.
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