10th Norfolk Rep Candidate Bailey Joins 2nd Amendment Boston Rally

The historic Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common was the place to be on Saturday for those opposed to newly restrictive firearms legislation hastily passed by the legislature and signed into law by the governor at the end of July.

Advocates say the law flies in the face of recent US Supreme Court decisions and primarily penalizes law-abiding citizens rather than those who ignore laws and commit crimes. Specifically, they say its immense 82-plus pages makes it effectively unintelligible to an average citizen. The event is part of an effort to get a repeal question on the 2026 ballot. 

One of those speaking out against the existing legislation was Franklin’s Charles Bailey, who is the Republican candidate for the 10th Norfolk seat in the Mass. House of Representatives, currently held by Democrat Jeff Roy. "I’ve been a paramedic for over 27 years…and have been
to hundreds of car accidents. Many of them resulted in fatalities, but you never hear of any outcry for lawmakers to ban motor vehicles," Bailey said. Vehicles, like firearms, don’t kill people. People kill people," he added.

Bailey spoke immediately before Republican State Committee Chair, Amy Carnevale, who said, “Residents of Massachusetts really have seen an overreach in state government, and the fact that this has been signed into law knowing that there’s a potential constitutional challenge to come, I think will speak to residents of the commonwealth.”

Another speaker warned that efforts to undermine the Second Amendment could equally be applied to other parts of the Constitution, underscoring the importance of legislating within the strictures of the founding document.

Supporters of the bill as passed say it builds on the state's effective gun safety laws and marks a response to the U.S. Supreme Court's Bruen decision, which Speaker Ron Mariano said, in a State House News article, "undermined our laws and threatened the safety of our residents." Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Creem also said the law was based on input from law enforcement, gun owners, community advocates, and health care workers.

Petitioners seeking repeal will need to file 49,716 signatures if they want to suspend the law upon the filing of the petitions, and can’t suspend the law if the governor adds an emergency preamble, according to the state’s elections division. Without suspension, they need at least 37,287 signatures to place the question on the state ballot.

Signed petitions would be due with local clerks by Oct. 9 and with the state elections division by Oct. 23. The timeframe points to a 2026 ballot question, since signed petitions would be needed by Sept. 6 to qualify a question for the 2024 ballot. Even if the signatures were filed early, local clerks, who are readying for the Sept. 3 primary elections, are not required to complete certification until mid-October.