Progressives lead Smith & Wesson from Massachusetts [OPINION]

Memorial Field in Springfield, just across Roosevelt Avenue from the Smith & Wesson world headquarters, has seen its fair share of anti-gun rallies and protests over the years. Protesters appear to have won at least one small victory over the 169-year-old gunmaker. Smith & Wesson has announced plans to move its headquarters from Massachusetts to Maryville, Kentucky.

While Smith & Wesson plans to keep more than 1,000 employees in Massachusetts, at least for now, the company says the move to Kentucky will cost up to 750 jobs in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Missouri, mostly in its Springfield operations. So who really wins here?

Massachusetts gun control activists and left-wing progressive politicians have made life difficult for Smith & Wesson. The State House News Service reported that company president and CEO Mark Smith said proposed legislation on Beacon Hill would prohibit his company from manufacturing certain types of firearms and accessories, like assault weapons and high-capacity magazines covered by the state’s current ban on their purchase and possession.

These bills would prevent Smith & Wesson from manufacturing firearms that are legal in nearly every other state in the United States and that are used safely by tens of millions of law-abiding citizens every day, exercising their constitutional rights of the second. amendment, protecting themselves and their families and enjoying shooting sports, ”Smith said, according to SHNS. Smith said these products accounted for more than 60% of the company’s revenue last year.

In a joint statement, the legislation’s sponsors Rep. Marjorie Decker and Senator Cynthia Creem, both Democrats, called Smith’s reasons for moving the company’s headquarters to Kentucky as a “politically convenient Trojan horse. and dishonest “. Decker and his progressive colleagues want Smith & Wesson to market certain products only to the military and law enforcement.

Government interference in the affairs of Smith & Wesson is just one of the reasons the company is heading for the Kentucky Hills. The state of the Bluegrass is also much more conducive to business than Massachusetts. Taxes, utilities, worker compensation, and government mandates are considerably lower in Kentucky than here – and they support Second Amendment rights in Kentucky.

Progressive anti-business policies will continue to drive businesses and jobs away from Massachusetts, but hey, there’s still a government dependency to fall back on.

Barry Richard is the host of the Barry Richard Show at 1420 WBSM New Bedford. It can be heard on weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @ BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.