What's next for gun reform in Mass.

Also: Mass. employers' mixed pessimism; Hamas attacks hit home [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  October 10, 2023 ☁️ Mostly cloudy, with a high near 62 and some scattered showers. Good Morning Boston, It's Tuesday. Hope you had a better holiday weekend than [the Red Sox assistant coaches](. Let's get to the news. - A go on gun reform: Of [all Beacon Hill's top post-tax bill priorities]( it seems gun reform is at the top of the House's list. The chamber is holding a hearing today on [the new gun reform bill unveiled last week]( by top House Democrats. The bill — which comes after [a Supreme Court ruling last year]( forced Massachusetts to[loosen its concealed carry laws]( — looks at a range of ways to shore up the state's otherwise relatively tight gun laws. That includes new registration rules for gun parts aimed at tracing "ghost guns," clarifications to the state's assault weapons ban, a prohibition on carrying firearms in schools and other government buildings, and a more streamlined license application process with a new requirement for live firearm training. - The backdrop: According to the gun safety advocacy group Everytown, the gun death rate in Massachusetts increased 16% between 2010 and 2019, about the same as the increase nationally. - What's next: House Speaker Ron Mariano, who supports the bill, is planning a vote later this month. (Expect it to pass.) The big issue is how the bill will be reconciled with whatever the Senate puts forward. Senate President Karen Spilka [said on Radio Boston last week]( that the upper chamber is separately writing its own gun bill. But she expressed confidence the two chambers — which [have clashed over past versions of the gun bill]( — will reach a compromise, even if the process runs well into next year. "I do believe we will have something on the governor's desk, definitely before the session is over [next summer]," Spilka said on Radio Boston. - Go deeper: Mariano and state Rep. Michael Day argue Massachusetts' relative success on gun safety is "not cause for complacency" in [this new Cognoscenti opinion piece](. - The Israel-Gaza conflict hits home: The daughter and son-in-law of a Brandeis University professor were among the hundreds killed over the weekend in the attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians. Ilan Troen, a professor of Israel studies at the Waltham university, [told NBC Boston that he was on the phone]( with his daughter Deborah and her husband Shlomi when the shooting began. "The next we heard was from her son [who survived], saying … they're dead," Troen said. - Gov. Maura Healey and other local leaders rallied Monday on Boston Common to show their support for Israel. WBUR's Arielle Grey reports the group forcefully condemned the attacks, while affirming their support for Israel and Boston’s Jewish community. - The latest: NPR [reports this morning]( that the Israeli military has largely regained control of areas in the south that had been attacked, as it continues its heavy bombing of the Gaza Strip. - In related news: Massachusetts Reps. Seth Moulton and Jake Auchincloss are hammering their alma mater, Harvard University, for not denouncing [a letter signed by over 30 student groups]( blaming Israel's "apartheid regime" for Hamas' attacks. "Terrorism is never justified nor someone else's fault," Moulton said in a statement. (The Salem Democrat will also be on Radio Boston today at 11 a.m.) - Harvard's leadership did release [a lengthy statement]( reiterating their "commitment to fostering an environment of dialogue and empathy" during such a time of "unimaginable loss and sorrow." But to Auchincloss, the response amounted to "word salad." [On Twitter]( he wrote: "I am ashamed of my alma mater." - Meanwhile, Auchincloss, who represents the state's largest Jewish community, also rebuked fellow Massachusetts delegation member Sen. Ed Markey — on [Twitter]( and [IRL]( — for [calling for]( "a de-escalation of the current violence" on both sides during yesterday's rally on the Common. - It's voting day today in parts of Worcester and Hampshire counties ([these parts]( specifically). The state is holding a primary for the special election to fill the former state Sen. Anne Gobi's seat, after she [took a post in Healey's administration in June](. Today's election will determine which Republican — state Rep. Peter Durant or Fitchburg State lecturer/limo driver Bruce Chester — will face off against Democratic state Rep. Jonathan Zlotnik in the Nov. 7 finale. P.S.— If you weren't at last week's Murrow Society gala discussion at CitySpace with former Boston Globe and Washington Post editor Marty Baron and former New York Times editor Dean Baquet, there's good news. It's [now on YouTube](. The two discussed Baron's new book, ever-thorny questions about Donald Trump coverage and took questions from attendees. Watch [here.]( Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Mass. employers unsure about the economy despite jobs report]( Employers in Massachusetts are feeling more pessimistic about the economy, but are still trying to fill positions, according to the latest Business Confidence Index released Tuesday by the Associated Industries of Massachusetts. [Read more.]( [Mass. employers unsure about the economy despite jobs report]( Employers in Massachusetts are feeling more pessimistic about the economy, but are still trying to fill positions, according to the latest Business Confidence Index released Tuesday by the Associated Industries of Massachusetts. [Read more.]( [Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will run for president as an independent, dropping his Democratic primary bid]( Kennedy said Monday he will run for president as an independent and drop his Democratic primary bid. Kennedy, a member of one of the most famous Democratic families in politics, was running a long-shot primary bid and has better favorability ratings among Republicans than Democrats. [Read more.]( [Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will run for president as an independent, dropping his Democratic primary bid]( Kennedy said Monday he will run for president as an independent and drop his Democratic primary bid. Kennedy, a member of one of the most famous Democratic families in politics, was running a long-shot primary bid and has better favorability ratings among Republicans than Democrats. [Read more.]( [Mast snaps aboard historic Maine schooner, killing 1 and injuring 3]( Officials say the top portion of a mast snapped and toppled on a historic excursion vessel, killing one person and injuring others aboard the Grace Bailey schooner off the coast of Maine. [Read more.]( [Mast snaps aboard historic Maine schooner, killing 1 and injuring 3]( Officials say the top portion of a mast snapped and toppled on a historic excursion vessel, killing one person and injuring others aboard the Grace Bailey schooner off the coast of Maine. [Read more.]( [Smith & Wesson opens new headquarters Tennessee after moving from Mass.]( Gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson hosted a grand opening of its new Tennessee headquarters Saturday after moving from its longtime home in Springfield, Massachusetts to a more gun-friendly state. [Read more.]( [Smith & Wesson opens new headquarters Tennessee after moving from Mass.]( Gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson hosted a grand opening of its new Tennessee headquarters Saturday after moving from its longtime home in Springfield, Massachusetts to a more gun-friendly state. [Read more.]( [Indigenous Peoples Day rally urges Maine voters to restore tribal treaties to printed constitution]( Native Americans and allies marched to the front of the Maine State House to encourage support for an amendment that would restore tribal treaties to printed versions of the state constitution. Maine inherited the treaties from Massachusetts when it became its own state in 1820. [Read more.]( [Indigenous Peoples Day rally urges Maine voters to restore tribal treaties to printed constitution]( Native Americans and allies marched to the front of the Maine State House to encourage support for an amendment that would restore tribal treaties to printed versions of the state constitution. Maine inherited the treaties from Massachusetts when it became its own state in 1820. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Brian O'Donovan, the longtime host of GBH's beloved radio program "A Celtic Sojourn," died of complications from brain cancer over the weekend at age 66. WBUR's Amelia Mason [remembers his gentle encouragement and ability to throw a party](. - A new ad from the New Hampshire Lottery implies Massachusetts residents can avoid paying taxes on lottery winnings by purchasing their tickets in the Granite State. But that's actually not the case. Here's [why it's misleading](. - Sound on: Boston-based DJing duo SuperSmashBroz explores different types of love in their new single "Go Dumb," whether it be platonic relationships, romantic relationships or family relationships. Listen to [the exclusive song premiere on our website](. - The colors of fall are a bit different on New England's highest peak. While the rest of the region is trending orange and red, New Hampshire's Mount Washington turned white this weekend — thanks to the summit's [first measurable snowfall of the season](.  What We're Reading 📚 - New sensory rooms debut at TD Garden ([WHDH]( - Amazon’s Alexa has been claiming the 2020 election was stolen ([The Washington Post]( - From the ashes, a small Maine village rises ([The Boston Globe](  🔎 Field Guide [West Roxbury: A Boston neighborhood guide]( A pocket of suburbia on the southwestern edge of the city, West Roxbury is an area historically favored by Irish-Americans that's long attracted young families for its (relatively) affordable single-family homes. [Read more.]( [West Roxbury: A Boston neighborhood guide]( A pocket of suburbia on the southwestern edge of the city, West Roxbury is an area historically favored by Irish-Americans that's long attracted young families for its (relatively) affordable single-family homes. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common helps you make sense of [what's going on with offshore wind industry in Massachusetts](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Girls trip]( but make it spooky. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 🔎 Explore [WBUR's Field Guide]( stories, events and more. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2023 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.