A good argument for "licensing guns just like cars". Would you get this kind of penalty for not licensing your car? The Ayn Rand quote about the State creating criminals comes to mind. Bold italics mine, but with so many absurdities, I got tired of italicizing.
http://www.masslive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/news/pstories/ae611gun.html
State gun owners may face fine come June 30
Sunday, June 11, 2000
By BRAD SMITH
Thousands of Massachusetts gun owners could face fines of $500 to $5,000 after June 30 for illegally possessing firearms under the state's tough new gun control law.
With the 1998 law still evolving — more than 80 amendments are pending this year — public safety officials concede they are unsure how many gun owners have failed to renew permits as the law requires.
"This process is still going on," said Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety spokesman Charles McDonald.
More than 556,000 notices were sent by the state's Criminal History Systems Board to firearms identification card holders to renew their permits, McDonald said. But about only 160,000 have been processed, according to state police. :
"Originally valid for life, all will have expired by the end of the month."
Local police say many FID card holders have died, moved or switched to a license-to-carry permit, a broader permit that covers pistols, rifles and shotguns. These licenses are expiring, too, but on a staggered basis. Unknown numbers of gun owners may be letting their FID cards lapse.
"I'm a perfect example," said Lt. William Noonan of Springfield's Police Department. His let his old FID card expire since he has a license-to-carry permit.
Only 3,000 of an estimated 30,000 FID cards issued by Springfield have been renewed.
"I guess there's this big discrepancy in numbers, but everybody who got an FID, at some point in their lives, won't necessarily be renewing them," Noonan said.
Possessing a weapon without a valid permit is a civil offense in Massachusetts, punishable by fines and confiscation.
Statewide, a state police fingerprint expert said about only 160,000 of Massachusetts' estimated 1.2 million gun owners have had their fingerprints processed as required by law under the permit renewal process.
"We don't know why the numbers are so disparate. (Duh!) We expected all would renew in that time period (ending June 30). At this point in time, we haven't seen that," said state police Capt. Michael Saltzman of the identification division of the police crime laboratory in Sudbury.
The Massachusetts Gun Control Act of 1998 declared all FID cards invalid after June 30. Holders must apply for renewal — a process that can take four to six weeks and costs $25. Mandatory gun-safety courses for new permit holders can add expense.
New license-to-carry permits expire every four years, too, and cost $25. A Class A license-to-carry permit is the only legal permit for a concealed weapon.
"There are a lot of people confused. Some tend to ignore the whole thing, but it's going to bite them in the butt," said Worthington gun owner Ron McBride, president of the Hampshire County League of Sportsmen's Clubs.
Rick Wallis of Holyoke's Revolver Club said there is "no good reason" for many gun owners to renew their old FID cards if they now have a license-to-carry permit.
At the same time, he said, many gun owners are probably not fully aware of the new gun law.
"It's a complete mess," Wallis said. "I'm positive most of the Legislature never read it before they voted on it. I also hear people say they're selling their guns and giving them up because they're fed up with the government telling them what to do."
State Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington, said the law has "caught up gun owners in a bureaucratic system that almost assumes they're guilty of something."
Changes on the table include exemptions for lawful gun owners with old police records. Now, anyone with a record, often compiled as a teen-ager, automatically loses his or her right to use a gun, despite years of law-abiding sport shooting.
Another change would allow home gun dealers who were outlawed under the new rules.
"That's had a very negative effect in smaller, rural communities like Wendell where they don't have a downtown business district," said Kulik, a Public Safety Committee member.
"The good part of the gun law is the attempt to try to get firearms out of the hands of irresponsible criminals, but they don't tend to be licensed anyway," Kulik said.
Police believe ignorance of the law is rampant in many cities and towns.
Easthampton Chief Robert Redfern said many longtime gun owners have changed addresses since first receiving FID cards years ago. Now, there is no way to track them down to notify them of today's legally required renewal.
Springfield's Noonan said, "I'm quite sure there are people out there who are oblivious to the law change. Those are the people who will have a problem."
At least 50 percent of Westfield's gun owners may not realize they must renew their gun permits, according to one informed guess.
"A lot of people have illegal FID cards right now and they're not aware they're illegal," said Susan Jaczyk, a Westfield police records clerk.
Westfield gun owners are blitzing police with permit renewal appointments every 15 minutes, three days a week. Would-be gun owners face a four- to six-week delay before learning if their applications are approved.
"The phone rings off the hook night and day. It's so confusing," Jaczyk said.
According to the law — widely deemed the nation's strictest — current FID cards began lapsing on the birth dates of holders, starting July 1, 1999. The yearlong cycle of expirations ends June 30. There is no grace period.
"People don't realize this," said William Menard, former president of Granby's Fairview Sportsmen's Fish & Game Association. "You've got to go down (to the police station) 30 or 40 days beforehand. It's a bunch of crap, as far as I'm concerned. It's a way to get money for the Big Dig."
Many gun owners say the new law, which is dozens of pages long, complicated the state's already restrictive weapons rules.
"We've heard rumors of people out there practicing civil disobedience," said Nancy Snow, executive secretary of the Gun Owners Action League, a pro-gun lobbying group. "People are very uncomfortable with government fingerprinting if they've done nothing wrong."
But Northampton Police Chief Russell Sienkiewicz said the state's growing weapons database helps police know if guns are present when responding to domestic dispute calls.
"For all the work involved, it will be beneficial for records accuracy," Sienkiewicz said.
In 1999, Northampton issued 522 new or renewed firearms permits, up from 228 in 1998. "We estimate there are 10,000 FID cards out there," the chief said.
Besides the need to renew FID cards, the law created a restricted FID card for possession of mace or pepper spray.
In addition, it created two types of licenses-to-carry. The Class A LTC — the only one that allows concealed guns — permits the purchase, possession and carrying of large-capacity handguns, rifles, shotguns and feeding devices. Large capacity is defined as 10 rounds or more.
The Class BLTC permits the purchase, possession and carrying of non-large capacity handguns and large-capacity rifles and shotguns.
Current licenses-to-carry, obtained before Oct. 21, 1998, are valid until their expiration dates. New ones will be valid for four years at $25.
© 2000 UNION-NEWS.
Copyright 2000 Associated Press
[This message has been edited by Oatka (edited June 12, 2000).]
http://www.masslive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/news/pstories/ae611gun.html
State gun owners may face fine come June 30
Sunday, June 11, 2000
By BRAD SMITH
Thousands of Massachusetts gun owners could face fines of $500 to $5,000 after June 30 for illegally possessing firearms under the state's tough new gun control law.
With the 1998 law still evolving — more than 80 amendments are pending this year — public safety officials concede they are unsure how many gun owners have failed to renew permits as the law requires.
"This process is still going on," said Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety spokesman Charles McDonald.
More than 556,000 notices were sent by the state's Criminal History Systems Board to firearms identification card holders to renew their permits, McDonald said. But about only 160,000 have been processed, according to state police. :
"Originally valid for life, all will have expired by the end of the month."
Local police say many FID card holders have died, moved or switched to a license-to-carry permit, a broader permit that covers pistols, rifles and shotguns. These licenses are expiring, too, but on a staggered basis. Unknown numbers of gun owners may be letting their FID cards lapse.
"I'm a perfect example," said Lt. William Noonan of Springfield's Police Department. His let his old FID card expire since he has a license-to-carry permit.
Only 3,000 of an estimated 30,000 FID cards issued by Springfield have been renewed.
"I guess there's this big discrepancy in numbers, but everybody who got an FID, at some point in their lives, won't necessarily be renewing them," Noonan said.
Possessing a weapon without a valid permit is a civil offense in Massachusetts, punishable by fines and confiscation.
Statewide, a state police fingerprint expert said about only 160,000 of Massachusetts' estimated 1.2 million gun owners have had their fingerprints processed as required by law under the permit renewal process.
"We don't know why the numbers are so disparate. (Duh!) We expected all would renew in that time period (ending June 30). At this point in time, we haven't seen that," said state police Capt. Michael Saltzman of the identification division of the police crime laboratory in Sudbury.
The Massachusetts Gun Control Act of 1998 declared all FID cards invalid after June 30. Holders must apply for renewal — a process that can take four to six weeks and costs $25. Mandatory gun-safety courses for new permit holders can add expense.
New license-to-carry permits expire every four years, too, and cost $25. A Class A license-to-carry permit is the only legal permit for a concealed weapon.
"There are a lot of people confused. Some tend to ignore the whole thing, but it's going to bite them in the butt," said Worthington gun owner Ron McBride, president of the Hampshire County League of Sportsmen's Clubs.
Rick Wallis of Holyoke's Revolver Club said there is "no good reason" for many gun owners to renew their old FID cards if they now have a license-to-carry permit.
At the same time, he said, many gun owners are probably not fully aware of the new gun law.
"It's a complete mess," Wallis said. "I'm positive most of the Legislature never read it before they voted on it. I also hear people say they're selling their guns and giving them up because they're fed up with the government telling them what to do."
State Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington, said the law has "caught up gun owners in a bureaucratic system that almost assumes they're guilty of something."
Changes on the table include exemptions for lawful gun owners with old police records. Now, anyone with a record, often compiled as a teen-ager, automatically loses his or her right to use a gun, despite years of law-abiding sport shooting.
Another change would allow home gun dealers who were outlawed under the new rules.
"That's had a very negative effect in smaller, rural communities like Wendell where they don't have a downtown business district," said Kulik, a Public Safety Committee member.
"The good part of the gun law is the attempt to try to get firearms out of the hands of irresponsible criminals, but they don't tend to be licensed anyway," Kulik said.
Police believe ignorance of the law is rampant in many cities and towns.
Easthampton Chief Robert Redfern said many longtime gun owners have changed addresses since first receiving FID cards years ago. Now, there is no way to track them down to notify them of today's legally required renewal.
Springfield's Noonan said, "I'm quite sure there are people out there who are oblivious to the law change. Those are the people who will have a problem."
At least 50 percent of Westfield's gun owners may not realize they must renew their gun permits, according to one informed guess.
"A lot of people have illegal FID cards right now and they're not aware they're illegal," said Susan Jaczyk, a Westfield police records clerk.
Westfield gun owners are blitzing police with permit renewal appointments every 15 minutes, three days a week. Would-be gun owners face a four- to six-week delay before learning if their applications are approved.
"The phone rings off the hook night and day. It's so confusing," Jaczyk said.
According to the law — widely deemed the nation's strictest — current FID cards began lapsing on the birth dates of holders, starting July 1, 1999. The yearlong cycle of expirations ends June 30. There is no grace period.
"People don't realize this," said William Menard, former president of Granby's Fairview Sportsmen's Fish & Game Association. "You've got to go down (to the police station) 30 or 40 days beforehand. It's a bunch of crap, as far as I'm concerned. It's a way to get money for the Big Dig."
Many gun owners say the new law, which is dozens of pages long, complicated the state's already restrictive weapons rules.
"We've heard rumors of people out there practicing civil disobedience," said Nancy Snow, executive secretary of the Gun Owners Action League, a pro-gun lobbying group. "People are very uncomfortable with government fingerprinting if they've done nothing wrong."
But Northampton Police Chief Russell Sienkiewicz said the state's growing weapons database helps police know if guns are present when responding to domestic dispute calls.
"For all the work involved, it will be beneficial for records accuracy," Sienkiewicz said.
In 1999, Northampton issued 522 new or renewed firearms permits, up from 228 in 1998. "We estimate there are 10,000 FID cards out there," the chief said.
Besides the need to renew FID cards, the law created a restricted FID card for possession of mace or pepper spray.
In addition, it created two types of licenses-to-carry. The Class A LTC — the only one that allows concealed guns — permits the purchase, possession and carrying of large-capacity handguns, rifles, shotguns and feeding devices. Large capacity is defined as 10 rounds or more.
The Class BLTC permits the purchase, possession and carrying of non-large capacity handguns and large-capacity rifles and shotguns.
Current licenses-to-carry, obtained before Oct. 21, 1998, are valid until their expiration dates. New ones will be valid for four years at $25.
© 2000 UNION-NEWS.
Copyright 2000 Associated Press
[This message has been edited by Oatka (edited June 12, 2000).]
