POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: HOUSE’s ‘Red Flag’ gun bill vote today — BAKER travels to Washington — Another write-in contender for ROSENBERG’s former seat

CLICK ON LINK FOR MORE!

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: HOUSE’s ‘Red Flag’ gun bill vote today — BAKER travels to Washington — Another write-in contender for ROSENBERG’s former seat

GUN BILL HEADED FOR HOUSE DEBATE, PASSAGE — A bill that would strengthen the state's already tight gun laws - and which saw a groundswell of support following the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida - is slated for debate and widely expected to pass in the House today.

Known as the Extreme Risk Protection Order or "red flag" bill, it would allow a court to order an individual deemed dangerous to themself or others to surrender any firearms or stun guns in their possession. The order would be in effect for one year and can be renewed. It was originally drafted by Cambridge state Rep. Marjory Decker.

Massachusetts is already home to some of the strictest gun laws in the country — a point of pride for House Speaker Robert DeLeo, who has shepherded two major updates to the state's gun laws since 2011. DeLeo came out in forceful support of the red flag bill earlier this month in a press conference alongside Stoneman Douglas alumni, police chiefs, and gun safety advocates.

The pro-gun group Gun Owners Action League pushed hard against the bill itself, calling the redrafted version approved on Monday a "pure gun confiscation bill" because it removed mental health or suicide prevention provisions.

With likely easy passage in the Senate after today's House vote, Gov. Charlie Baker has not yet explicitly indicated how he'll come down on the bill, though he did say in February he was open to considering ways to strengthen the state's gun laws. Public opinion, in the very least, is on the bill's side, with support from 89 percent of Massachusetts voters, according to a March WBUR poll.