Massachusetts House Speaker Claims Courts Will Settle Issue Of Weapons
BY Herschel Smith
8 years, 4 months ago
Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo says he expects the dispute over Attorney General Maura Healey’s crackdown on so-called copycat assault weapons to ultimately be decided in court.
DeLeo on Saturday ruled out any House action on the gun issue as lawmakers held their final formal sessions of the year.
The Democratic speaker also said Rep. John Fernandes, a Milford Democrat who chairs the Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Healey asking her to clarify under what authority she acted when she recently sent an enforcement letter to gun dealers.
Gun rights advocates have challenged Healey’s crackdown. The Democrat says the sale of “copy” or “duplicate” weapons are illegal under the state’s assault weapons ban.
DeLeo says he’s not sure if Healey overstepped her authority and expects the courts to decide.
The House could impeach her, or they could pass a law that fired her, or they could clarify that she cannot implement the law as she plans, or better yet, they could repeal all guns laws and prove themselves on the side of liberty. They could even pass a resolution demanding that she be tarred and feathered.
But any of these things apparently take too much courage. John Adams famously observed that the American constitution “was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” You can add to that leading the American system requires at least a modicum of courage.
That the speaker of the house would defer to the courts is disgraceful and cowardly. It is things like this that will ultimately end the great American experiment.
On August 1, 2016 at 7:40 am, Billy Mullins said:
Courage? From politicians???? Shirley …
On August 1, 2016 at 9:02 am, Fred said:
No Speaker DeLeo, It will not “ultimately” be decided by a court.
On August 1, 2016 at 2:22 pm, Archer said:
The form of government described by the U.S. Constitution was designed to operate in three parts: the Legislative, the Executive, and the Judicial branches. Three equal branches, with varying explicitly-described powers and duties. This form of government in turn was passed through to the states via Article IV, Section 4.
What you see here is the Legislature bowing to the ultimate authority of the Executive, and then deferring (read: bowing again) to the authority of the Judiciary.
This cowardly deferment is going to leave a power vacuum which the Executive and Judiciary will be more than glad to usurp, and will finally leave three unbalanced (i.e. non-coequal) branches of government. Moreover, because the Legislature is meant to represent the will of the People’s directly, this particular unbalancing maneuver most weakens the People of the State of Massachusetts against the will of the Executive and Judiciary.
Shameful.
On August 1, 2016 at 7:52 pm, guest said:
I don’t think it’s guns they need to be worrying about.
See also, “Shawn Custis,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FST__4VgoI
No guns were present when he beat and strangled a woman in front of a home security camera, then threw her down a flight of stairs.
I guess that’s the world Robert DeLeo wants to create for all of us.