2026 MA Elections: Question 9 Would Codify Stronger State Gun Laws

Groups on both sides of a ballot question that would codify enhanced Massachusetts gun restrictions were planning rallies this weekend ahead of the Nov. 3 vote.

Question 9 would keep in place what proponents call "Massachusetts' lifesaving gun safety law," passed in 2024 that Gov. Maura Healey signed into law in 2024 as a means to "modernize" firearm restrictions to include banning untraceable "ghost guns" and expanding "red flag" laws that force individuals to give up their guns if they are deemed a threat to themselves or others.

Those opposed to the law — seeking a "no" vote on Nov. 3 — argue that the law adds unnecessary regulation and bureaucracy in a state where gun laws are already among the most restrictive in the country.

Healey was set to join Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden and the Boston Teachers Union for a "Yes on 9 For a Safe Massachusetts" rally at the Boston Teachers Union Hall in Dorchester on Sunday.

"The 2024 law made several key updates, including stronger protections against ghost guns, outlawing conversion devices that turn semi-automatic weapons into machine guns, and establishing a public gun data dashboard," Yes on 9 For a Safe Massachusetts said in a statement to Patch. "The law continues Massachusetts' position as a national leader on gun violence prevention."

The state Republican Party issued a voter guide on Friday that advocates a "no" vote on Question 9.

One of the law's provisions allows school administrators and licensed healthcare providers as among those who can ask a court to issue an "Extreme Risk Protection Order" that forces someone to surrender their guns and permits to carry if they are deemed a risk to themselves and others.

"Every student, teacher, and education professional should be able to go to school and home without fear of gun violence," said Boston Teachers Union President Erik Berg in a statement to Patch. "As educators, we see the impact of our state's safety policies every day. We know how much progress has been made — and how much work remains left to do.

"Massachusetts is a national leader on gun violence prevention because of our strong gun safety policies and committed prevention work. We need to continue building on that work — we can't afford to go backwards."

The law allows courts to force the surrender of guns for those issued a Harassment Prevention Order, allows local law enforcement to request information on involuntary mental health commitments as part of the permit process, requires residents to be 21 years old to own semiautomatic rifles or shotguns, and provides for a potential jail sentence for failing to report a gun loss or theft.

The law also expands the ability for minors to obtain self-defense "pepper" spray. Those 12 to 15 years old can apply for a self-defense spray permit with parental permission, and those 15 to 18 years old can apply independently.

The opposition group, the North Andover-based Civil Rights Coalition, was to hold what they called their biggest event of the year — the "Lawyers, Guns & Money" auction and fundraiser — in Hudson on Friday night.

That group argues that the 2024 law "threatens our most fundamental rights" and sets "a precedent that would allow Beacon Hill to erode protections outlined in our nation's founding documents."

"It is a deeply flawed, 116-page piece of bureaucratic overreach that wastes valuable tax dollars and burdens local communities," the Civil Rights Coalition's Toby Leary said in the official ballot position statement. "Passed without proper planning, the law mandates an expensive, real-time electronic tracking system that the state hasn't funded and doesn't know how to build.

"It also forces local police departments to enforce a confusing patchwork of vague rules, pulling officers away from investigating violent crime to plow through piles of administrative paperwork. State agencies have struggled to explain the law, issuing dozens of clarifications for rules that treat harmless historical re-enactors and antique hobbyists like criminals."

Proponents of the "yes" vote said, "repealing this law would make everyone less safe."

"The law made vital updates, including banning ghost guns, outlawing devices that turn semi-automatic weapons into machine guns, expanding tools to help prevent firearm suicide and mass shootings, creating a firearms data dashboard to better understand gun trafficking," said Ned Notis-McConarty of Vote Yes for a Safe Massachusetts in the ballot position statement. "Thanks to our comprehensive approach to gun violence prevention, Massachusetts has a gun death rate 70 percent lower than the national average.

"Critical elements of the 2024 law are actively being implemented. They are already helping keep our communities safe."

More on Patch:

• MA State Primary 2026: Markey Repels Moulton, Minogue To Face Healey