Massachusetts Democrats Are Dumber Than a Truckload of Gravel

Massachusetts has banned the purchase of military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines within the state since 2004, but after firearms made in the Bay State have been used in multiple mass shootings elsewhere, a group of lawmakers now wants to prevent them from being built here as well.

Several Democrats in the Legislature filed a bill [in April] (HD 4192) that would prohibit Massachusetts companies such as Smith & Wesson, headquartered in Springfield, from manufacturing weapons and devices covered under the existing ban, exempting those that would be sold to law enforcement, the military or foreign governments.

"If we no longer produce and manufacture military-style assault weapons here in Massachusetts and we impact the ability for private citizens to access these weapons, we know there will be fewer mass shootings," said Rep. Marjorie Decker, a Cambridge Democrat and one of the bill's authors. "We know less people will die."

There must be something in the name "Marjorie" that makes politicians so named immune to reality. Apparently, she thinks that if she can get the Commonwealth to make it illegal for S&W to make certain guns in Massachuetts, that S&W will simply get out of the business.

Bad idea, that.

Smith & Wesson have announced that they will be relocating their headquarters to Tennessee in the mid-2020s but will retain [some] operations in Springfield, Massachusetts. The company, founded in the 1850s, has long made Massachusetts its home.

The Springfield facility will keep some of its manufacturing operations including all forging, machining, metal finishing, and assembly of revolvers, with Smith & Wesson confirming that the company will continue to employ over 1,000 employees in Massachusetts. The new site in Maryville, Tennessee will house the company’s headquarters as well as manufacturing processes including plastic injection molding, pistol and long gun assembly, and product distribution.
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Smith & Wesson are expecting to invest $120 million in the project with construction in Maryville beginning this year and completion scheduled by 2023. The company expects that more than 750 jobs will move from Massachusetts to Tennessee.

Smith & Wesson issued a statement that the guns those Bay State Morons seek to stop them from making comprised 60% of the company's revenue. No company on this planet is going to willingly take that sort of hit when all they have to is move.

And move they shall. Even if this stupid bill fails, the fact that it was even introduced was enough to persuade Smith & Wesson to move a bunch of its manufacturing and assembly work from where they have been doing business for nearly 170 years to a more friendly location.

So, 750 well-paying jobs will leave the state.

It's probably a safe bet that, if it were cost-effective to move their heavy forges, they'd do that, too.