Massachusetts bans bump stocks, 1st state since Vegas massacre to do so

Bump stocks, the firearms accessory that allows semi-automatic rifles to shoot at a rate closer to automatic weapons, were banned in Massachusetts on Friday, when Republican Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito signed into law a budget bill that included the prohibition. She is serving as acting governor, as Republican Governor Charlie Baker vacations out of state. Despite this bipartisan effort with a Democratic legislature, bump stocks appear to be out of the range of regulation at the federal level. Mass shooter Stephen Paddock used a bump stock during last month’s massacre in Las Vegas, where he killed 58 people and wounded hundreds more. Congress initially considered restricting bump stocks, but that interest has apparently fizzled. California had banned bump stocks prior to the shooting.