Question 9 asks voters whether to uphold or repeal a state gun law passed in 2024.
The law, called “An Act Modernizing Firearms Laws,” introduced new restrictions on firearms and expanded existing regulations. The legislation:
Other changes include prohibiting firearms in government buildings, polling locations, and schools, with some exceptions. The law also established a publicly-accessible dashboard to help track gun trafficking.
Gun rights advocates launched a referendum effort shortly after the law was passed, seeking to repeal the legislation.
A “yes” vote on Question 9 would uphold the 2024 law, while a “no” vote would repeal it.
What supporters of the referendum are saying
The Civil Rights Coalition is leading the effort to repeal the 2024 law. The group argues that the legislation infringes on Second Amendment rights and is an overstep by the state government.
“It’s a solution in search of a problem,” said Toby Leary, chairman of the Civil Rights Coalition and the No on 9 campaign. “Massachusetts has one of the lowest gun-related death rates in the country and to continually squeeze or restrict lawful, peaceful citizens in hopes of further reducing crime or death by firearm is kind of a strange way of going about it.”
The coalition also questions the effectiveness of provisions requiring serial numbers on ghost guns, arguing that people who commit violent crimes are unlikely to follow firearm laws.
Referendum supporters also point to New Hampshire’s low crime rate and permissive firearms regulations as an example of why legislation like the 2024 law doesn’t stop gun violence.
Instead, the Civil Rights Coalition argues Massachusetts should focus on enforcing stricter bail laws and imposing tougher penalties on people who commit crimes. Learty cited the May shooting on Memorial Drive in Cambridge and the suspect’s criminal history as an example of what he views as shortcomings in the state’s approach to repeat offenders.
“I think a perfect example of this is Tyler Brown, who we all saw march down Memorial Boulevard,” Leary said. “That is the failure of Chapter 135 in a nutshell. This guy was an armed career criminal who should have been doing a mandatory minimum. Thank god an armed citizen came to the rescue of people who were stuck in traffic that day.”
What supporters of the 2024 law are saying
Gun safety advocates argue the law helps protect communities from gun violence and addresses critical gaps in firearms regulations.
Data that could help measure the law’s impact on gun violence is still being collected. In 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Massachusetts had the second-lowest number of firearm deaths. It has not released the data for 2025 yet.
The last time Massachusetts updated its firearms laws was in 2014. Supporters of the 2024 legislation say the newer law responds to changing firearm technology, particularly the growing availability of untraceable weapons.
“In 2014 we weren’t really talking about ghost guns or untraceable guns,” said Ruth Zakarin, Chair of Vote Yes on 9 for a Safe Massachusetts. “Once we started seeing untraceable guns showing up in the community more there was a recognition that we needed to do more to regulate those guns and make sure that we don’t have untraceable guns in our homes and our communities.”
Advocates say requiring serial numbers on ghost guns can help law enforcement identify firearms and assess potential risks when responding to emergencies.
They also argue the law does not prevent people from legally obtaining a gun, pointing to a 17% increase in completed licenses to carry since the law took effect.
“I’m a trauma clinician by background. I come to the work of gun violence prevention interested in preventing trauma and this really is about prevention,” Zarakin said. “It is about strong policy that we know reduces the chances of someone intent on causing harm from being able to access firearms.”
