My name is Robin Neipp. I currently work as a Public Health Nurse for the towns of Montague/Greenfield under the Valley Regional Health Collaborative Grant. I also currently volunteer with Grassroots for Gun Violence Prevention (Grassroots4GVP.org) in Massachusetts. In my work and personal life I recognize gun violence as a public health crisis and seek to decrease the loss of life and ongoing trauma that follows any firearm death or injury.

Recently, there have been articles about the updated gun legislation signed into law on July 25,2024. (H.4885)

While there has been at least one article focused on admiring the work of the opponents who have been able to gather the signatures to bring the entire bill to a referendum vote in November 2026; there has been little mention of the work of the Gun Violence Prevention organizations, legislators and community members who worked almost four years to pass comprehensive, legal and common sense updates.

Our existing state laws and recent updates have made Massachusetts communities among the safest in the nation. According to Everytown.org, our state has the lowest rate of gun deaths in the U.S. Even with this common sense legislation, in an average year 259 people die by guns in our state. It is important to note that 55% (142) are the result of suicide by gun. Homicides account for 43% and the remainder are unintentional, shootings by police or undetermined. It is also important to note that on average, 244 people are wounded with ongoing trauma and pain from these events.

For most of us, these numbers may seem far and distant but I challenge you to think about your own circle of family and friends. I would venture that you have been affected by some form of gun violence, injury, or death well below the 6 degrees of separation. I ask that you take a few moments of your time to really look into how this new legislation was researched and carefully constructed to not infringe on legal, common sense gun owners. One example is that the legislation updates the state’s assault weapons ban by expanding the definition of “assault weapons” to include known assault weapons and other weapons that function like them with respect to certain features and add ons. Another is the expansion of who can request a Red Flag Order (ERPO Extreme Risk Protection Order) to include Health Care Providers and School Administrators.

I ask you to consider what our common goal is. The intent is to do all we can to strengthen our communities safety. We need to do what we can do. Often I hear that the “criminals will not obey the laws anyway and you are punishing those who legally own guns and are responsible.” I believe that you will see in this legislation there are some changes to help law enforcement, help individuals and families in crisis, address loopholes in the previous laws, and advance some common sense safety to gun ownership.

Safety is the priority and I hope I have conveyed the intent of putting safety first. I invite you to view and share these informational videos and the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence “Fact Sheet on An Act modernizing Firearm Laws” which provides clarification on the aims of the legislation that may be confusing from other articles.

March 2025 MACOPGV Quarterly Meeting: State Sen. Cindy Creem talks about the process and new legislation, https://youtu.be/YUxhZAmCji4(advance to 19.28 to view just this part if you like).

Mass Coalition Fact Sheet: https://www.mapreventgunviolence.org/post/fact-sheet-on-an-act-modernizing-firearm-laws.

February 2025 Public Health Institute of Western Mass: State Sen. Carlos Gonzalez, Stephen M. Kent Deputy Chief of Springfield Police Department and others discuss the new legislation, https://youtu.be/Dm1mUqUonnA.

I hope that this is helpful to understand the changes and how important it will be to us to continue to lead the nation in common sense gun legislation that results in safer and healthier communities.

Robin Neipp works as a public health nurse for Montague and Greenfield.