Near Fatal: Governor Patrick's Gun Bill Revived

Kyle Cheney reports that Governor Patrick's gun bill isn't as dead as we thought.  DeLeo will bring the bill before the House, despite its defeat in committee last week.  It tied, much like America and England.  Unlike America and England, this means the bill didn't get enough votes to pass through committee.

DeLeo will send the bill back to the Judiciary Committee.  That'll get it passed right quick: if the Speaker asks you to look at it again, you look at it again and then pass what he wants.

Under the governor’s bill, violators who purchase more than one gun per month would face a maximum fine of $1,000 or a 30-month jail sentence on a first offense, and a maximum $5,000 fine or five years in prison on a subsequent offense.

The bill also permits the state agency that manages criminal records and the courts to transmit to the attorney general any information necessary to conduct a background check on a person purchasing a firearm or gun license. In addition, the bill bars the possession of a machine gun except by instructors, collectors, or law enforcement officers.

It's basically crunch time for DeLeo.  He would, of course, love to keep the Governorship Democratic, since it's the easiest way to pass his agenda.  This gun bill would be a nice feather in Patrick's cap going into the election season, and he needs all the feathers he can get.


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