Lexington Gun Control: Rotberg to Move Forward with Nonbinding Resolution

LEXINGTON, MA—After the Lexington Board of Selectmen unanimously voted to not support his proposed gun control bylaw, Town Meeting member Robert Rotberg has decided to move forward with a nonbinding resolution.

According to a report by the Boston Globe, Rotberg's new nonbinding resolution will ask the Board of Selectmen to initiate a townwide discussion about gun violence, in order to yield "fully considered proposals" to present to the Massachusetts State Legislature. The select board voted 5-0 in opposition of Rotberg's proposal to ban the possession, manufacturing, ownership or possession of certain weapons in town on March 8.

“This is an effective compromise based on the reluctance of many Town Meeting members to put themselves against a lot of pressure,” Rotberg told the Globe in a telephone interview. “The external gun lobby obviously has put a lot of effort into combatting the original proposal.”

After hearing the Board's decision, Rotberg told Patch that all options were still on the table, including the original article.

"We are considering what to do," Rotberg wrote."All options open, including the original article."

On March 9, Lexington Selectman Joseph Pato told Patch that Town Counsel guidance indicated that the bylaw would likely not stand muster with the attorney general, and it would be superseded by state law. While each individual member had different concerns, Pato said that he feels that the place for accomplishing this goal would be on the state level.