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Health & Fitness

GUN OWNERS ACTION LEAGUE (GOAL) URGES HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE TO RELEASE PEPPER SPRAY BILL FOR A VOTE

GUN OWNERS ACTION LEAGUE (GOAL) URGES HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE TO RELEASE PEPPER SPRAY BILL FOR A VOTE

 

BOSTON - The Gun Owners Action League of Massachusetts (GOAL) today urged its 17,000 members to contact the House Committee on Ways and Means Committee to for the release of H. 2145, An Act Relative to Non-Lethal Self Defense Sprays to the House floor for a vote. The bill removes the requirement that a person obtain a license in order to possess pepper spray.

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Massachusetts is the only state in the nation that requires a person to obtain a license to own pepper spray. Current violation of these laws can result in up to two years in jail and the required concealed weapons permit can cost up to $100.

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H. 2145, filed by Rep. Kim Ferguson (R-Holden), is one of five bills filed this session to remove the licensing requirement for pepper spray.  The Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security released this bill last month because of its comprehensive nature and broad-based bipartisan support.  This bill is backed by a bipartisan alliance of legislators including former Rep. Martha Walz (D-Boston), Rep. Danielle Gregoire (D-Marlborough), Rep. Christine Canavan (D-Brockton), Rep. Keiko Orell (R-Lakeville), and Rep. Sheila O’Connell (R-Groton).

 

House Bill 2145 boils down to a matter of increased self-defense options, especially for women,” said Rep. Ferguson. “By allowing Massachusetts’ residents and non-residents, aged 18 or older, to carry self-defense spray as a protection against potential attackers, we as a Legislature will reaffirm our commitment to public safety in all circumstances.”

 

 “We need to see movement on this common sense bill,” said Jim Wallace, Executive Director of GOAL.  “Recent FBI reports show that Massachusetts has some of the highest violent crime rates in the Northeast. We should be allowing adults, from college students to the elderly, to utilize the most common nonlethal defense there is. This bill is about personal safety and I am happy to see that the legislature recognizes the need for citizens to protect themselves.

 

GOAL is confident that it will get the bill to the Governor’s desk by the end of the legislative session. 

 

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About GOAL:

GOAL is the official state firearms association in Massachusetts, which was founded in 1974 to protect the 2nd Amendment rights of the law-abiding citizens of the Commonwealth. GOAL's grassroots organization has over 17,000 members and works directly with both legislators and community organizers to establish successful public outreach and educational programs to make gun ownership safe for all Massachusetts residents.   

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