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Mass. gun law opponents challenge restrictions on young adults

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Mass. gun law opponents challenge restrictions on young adults


Firearms owners added another prong to their campaign against a sweeping Massachusetts law, filing a new federal lawsuit late last week challenging its constitutionality.

While other lawsuits and a repeal campaign continue to unfold, a coalition of industry groups including the National Rifle Association and Massachusetts gun owners on Friday sued over firearm age restrictions included in the wide-reaching package Gov. Maura Healey signed in July.

Plaintiffs argue the law violates Second Amendment rights by preventing Bay Staters older than 18 but younger than 21 from possessing or carrying handguns and semiautomatic firearms.

“Adults between the ages of 18 and 20 are part of ‘the people,’ and there is no historical tradition of limiting the firearms rights of adults on account of their age,” they wrote in their complaint. “And as for the types of firearms that Massachusetts forbids them from owning, much less carrying, there can be no dispute that they qualify as ‘arms’ within the ‘plain text’ meaning of the Second Amendment.”

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People ages 18 to 20 years old in Massachusetts can acquire firearm identification cards, but that document does not grant the ability to purchase, possess or transfer handguns or semiautomatic firearms, according to plaintiffs. To do so, someone would need to obtain a license to carry, which the law restricts only to people 21 and older.

One of the plaintiffs is Mack Escher of Brewster, a student at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy who falls in the 18-to-20 age range. He has a firearm identification card, but under the new law is unable to purchase or possess a handgun or semiautomatic firearm.

He was joined in the lawsuit by the Gun Owners’ Action League, Commonwealth Second Amendment, the Firearms Policy Coalition Inc, the Second Amendment Foundation and the NRA as well as the national group Gun Owners of America Inc.

“Massachusetts’s new gun control law is one of the most severe attacks on the right to keep and bear arms in our nation’s history,” John Commerford, executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement alongside the lawsuit. “Vindicating the rights of young adults is just our first step towards dismantling this unconstitutional law.”

Supporters of the massive law here argue that it will save lives, especially as police work to limit the spread of untraceable “ghost guns,” and keep gun violence rates in Massachusetts low.

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Plaintiffs cited the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen decision, which deemed unconstitutional a New York law that required applicants to show special need to obtain a concealed carry license. That landmark decision served as a catalyst for the Massachusetts legislation two years later.

The new case focused on young adult firearms rights is the latest piece of a broad effort targeting the new restrictions and reforms.

It’s at least the third lawsuit filed in federal court so far. The first challenge, filed soon after Healey signed the measure, focused on new licensing and training frameworks. Plaintiffs dropped that case in December after the Legislature delayed the effective date of a requirement for applicants to complete a live-fire training course.

The second case, filed in October, argues that updated definitions for assault-style weapons in the Massachusetts law violate the Second Amendment.

That case, known as Recchia v. Healey, is ongoing. On Friday, the assistant attorney general representing Massachusetts asked a judge for more time to outline the state’s push to dismiss the suit, writing that she is also busy working on a multistate lawsuit challenging the Office of Management and Budget’s potential federal funding freeze.

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“That case was filed shortly after the Governor’s first request for an extension in this action and has involved temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction proceedings, with frequent, urgent filing deadlines, including further preliminary injunction briefing due today, February 14, 2025, and a hearing on the motion to be held on Friday, February 21, 2025,” Assistant Attorney General Vanessa Arslanian wrote in a motion filed in the gun case Friday. “A brief extension, therefore, will permit undersigned counsel to adequately prepare the reply memorandum.”

U.S. District Court Judge Richard Stearns granted the extension Tuesday, giving Arslanian until March 3 to file a memo in support of her motion to dismiss the firearms lawsuit.

Meanwhile, firearms owners are also hoping to undo the law by securing the support of voters.

A group of Second Amendment supporters and gun owners known as the Civil Rights Coalition secured enough voter signatures to put a question on the 2026 ballot proposing to repeal the law.

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Massachusetts

French-Mediterranean Eatery Charts Opening In Boston

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French-Mediterranean Eatery Charts Opening In Boston


BOSTON, MA — An international restaurant group with locations across the globe is preparing to open its first Massachusetts restaurant this year.

LPM Restaurant & Bar, a French Riviera-inspired restaurant founded in London, is set to open on the second floor of the Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street in Back Bay, according to Four Seasons. The hotel lists the restaurant as “Opening Summer 2026,” while the Boston Business Journal reported the restaurant plans to open in September.

The Boston restaurant will mark LPM’s debut in the Northeast and its third U.S. outpost, following locations in Miami and Las Vegas, according to a Four Seasons announcement.

LPM, also known as La Petite Maison, was founded in London in 2007 and is known for French-Mediterranean food, Mediterranean ingredients and dining rooms influenced by Belle Époque design.

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The business operates locations in London, Dubai, Miami, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Riyadh, Limassol, Doha, Mykonos, Kuwait, Boston, Maldives and Bangkok.

Four Seasons said LPM will take over the space that formerly housed One Dalton’s breakfast concept, One + One. The restaurant will join other dining options at the hotel, including Zuma and Trifecta.

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Massachusetts high school under investigation after teachers diagnosed with breast cancer

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Massachusetts high school under investigation after teachers diagnosed with breast cancer


A Massachusetts high school is under investigation after “several” teachers have been diagnosed with breast cancer or precancerous conditions.

The state Department of Public Health is set to visit Uxbridge High School on Thursday to “conduct a series of air quality tests,” to determine whether the multiple cases are potentially connected.

Superintendent David Ljungberg and Principal Michael Rubin alerted families and district staff on Monday of the “sombering news,” after Uxbridge High School’s graduation over the weekend.

“We are writing to inform you about a concern we are investigating at Uxbridge High School,” Ljungberg and Rubin stated in the letter. “Several female teachers have been diagnosed with breast cancer or precancerous conditions over the past few years.”

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“It is, of course, possible that these multiple cases are not connected to one another,” the leaders added, “but out of abundance of caution, we are looking into any environmental factors at the school that may be a factor in their diagnoses.”

The 123,000-square-foot school, with an enrollment of roughly 600, was constructed in 2012 at a cost of $45 million, including a $22-million state reimbursement.

Uxbridge school leaders say they notified the state Department of Health and local health board as soon as they became aware of the cases, seeking “counsel about how best to proceed.”

“Massachusetts DPH officials have indicated that there is no evidence of immediate danger in the building and no reason to limit access to or use of the facility at this time,” they wrote in their letter. “In fact, the public health officials have commended our decision to approach them with these concerns, our readiness to partner with them in support of the evaluation process.”

Health officials are assessing the school’s interior and exterior to “ensure there are no issues with the infrastructure that would present risks (including electrical, plumbing, mechanical, HVAC, and other systems)” and the indoor and outdoor air quality on campus.

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The superintendent and principal said that state officials have ruled out water supply as a “risk factor” after “thorough testing.”

“The team has reached out to the women who have been diagnosed, requesting data to evaluate whether there may be a connection among their cases,” Ljungberg and Rubin wrote. “We are grateful for their cooperation.”

They added that the state has said discovering an environmental “smoking gun” is “rare” in workplace investigations.

“However, even if a direct causal link is not established,” the leaders wrote, “the administration is utilizing this process to rigorously test the building and guarantee that it meets all safety standards moving forward.”

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Gov. Healey backs bill to keep Mass. bars open until 3 a.m. this summer

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Gov. Healey backs bill to keep Mass. bars open until 3 a.m. this summer


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The legislation would allow licensed establishments to sell alcohol one hour later than their normal closing time, up to 3 a.m., between June 1 and Aug. 31, 2026.

The proposal has received support from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and most recently Gov. Maura Healey, who submitted written testimony Monday to the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies urging lawmakers to advance the measure. (Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff)

Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a measure that would allow cities and towns to temporarily extend bar and restaurant hours during the summer, as the state prepares to host FIFA World Cup matches and celebrations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.

The legislation (H.5465) filed by state Rep. Carole Fiola, would allow licensed establishments to sell alcohol one hour later than their normal closing time, up to 3 a.m., between June 1 and Aug. 31, 2026. The bill would also allow communities to establish designated public consumption districts where alcohol could be consumed in approved public spaces.

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In a press release announcing the bill, Fiola said the summer’s threefold events lineup — the World Cup, Tall Ships, and July 4th — is an economically significant moment that the state should take advantage of.

“We should capitalize on these events that will generate economic benefits for small businesses and the state as a whole. It’s a local opt-in idea worth exploring that’s being done in other states,” Fiola said.

The proposal has received support from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and most recently Gov. Maura Healey, who submitted written testimony Monday to the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies urging lawmakers to advance the measure.

“Massachusetts is planning for a once-in-a-generation summer,” Healey wrote, according to the Boston Globe. “In 2026, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, welcome tall ships from around the world to Boston Harbor for Sail Boston, and host seven FIFA World Cup matches in Foxborough, along with watch parties across the Commonwealth.”

The governor argued that the added flexibility could help local economies benefit from an influx of visitors.

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“That flexibility can help communities capture more visitor spending, support jobs, keep downtowns active, and strengthen Massachusetts’ image as a dynamic destination ready to host the world and a place our residents, including our young professionals, are proud to call home,” Healey wrote.

She also urged lawmakers to move the legislation forward, saying it will “help Massachusetts meet the full economic and cultural opportunities for the summer ahead.”


  • Rhode Island bill proposes 24-hour bar hours during World Cup

In Rhode Island, a similar bill to allow bars and restaurants to remain open until 4 a.m. during the World Cup was signed into law on Friday.

Fiola’s bill remains before the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. Any final version would require approval from both the House and Senate before reaching Healey’s desk.

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Annie Jonas is a Community writer at Boston.com. She was previously a local editor at Patch and a freelancer at the Financial Times.

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