Great Barrington Select Board lobbies for gun control

GREAT BARRINGTON – The board of selectman is looking to add its opinion to the gun debate that has spread through the nation.

The board members agreed they would like to pass a symbolic bill that supports state and federal changes to the assault weapon laws. The board discussed the bill at its last meeting and will be again working on it at the Jan. 28 meeting.

“There would be no harm in tabling this till after the vice president’s report,” said Town Manager Kevin O’Donnell.

On top of the current proposal, members of the select board also discussed a town warrant item to discuss assault weapons bans.

Twenty years ago, after the Simon’s Rock shooting, a warrant item to ban assault weapons was discussed at Town Meeting before it was tabled indefinitely.

The current town attorney has informed Mr. O’Donnell both the select board and Town Meeting are not legally able to regulate firearms in the town, yet they can pass measures to support state and federal law changes.

“I do think it needs to be said we are not talking about hunting in any shape or form,” said Board Member Andrew D. Blechman, to clarify what areas the town was looking for regulation in.

Other business

During the late December blizzard, David Magadini went to the Days Inn, at 372 Main St., to find a room.

According to Mr. Magadini, he was refused a room, saying, in a letter to the select board, “they also threatened to call the police if I did not leave.”

Mr. Magadini has requested that the Days Inn license be suspended for breaking state law that mandates rooms be offered to travelers if they are available.

The select board is now discussing the matter with town council to decide how to proceed with a public hearing on the matter.

The board also named new members to two town committees. Daniel Bailly was named to the Historic District Commission and Michael Supranowitz to the Energy Committee.

Posted by Kameron Z. Spaulding on January 24, 2013. Filed under Community News,News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry