Connecticut: Gun Control Bills Pass Committee

[Charlie T Waite]

The Connecticut state Joint Judiciary Committee has voted to pass a number of gun control bills.  They will now go to their respective chambers for further consideration.  Please contact your state Senator and Representative and urge them to OPPOSE Senate Bill 60 and House Bills 5345, 5725, and 7223.  Click the “Take Action” button below to contact your state Senator and Representative.

Senate Bill 60 would allow law enforcement officers to demand that Connecticut handgun permit holders present their permit if the officer had reason to believe they were carrying a handgun.  Current law already allows police officers to request proof of a permit, but only when they have a “reasonable suspicion” that a crime is being committed, supported by articulable facts that criminal activity is occurring. 

House Bill 5345 would require any adult with a minor present in their residence to make their firearms unavailable for self-defense.  Gun safety and storage is a matter of personal responsibility and every person’s situation is different.  It is unreasonable to impose a one-size-fits-all government solution.  Such poorly thought out schemes are without any consideration for personal circumstances.

House Bill 5725 would essentially end the centuries old practice of manufacturing firearms for personal use by imposing requirements that far exceed those in federal law.  Criminals acquire the vast majority of their firearms by illegal means such as theft, straw purchase, or on the black market.  Such a law would only affect hobbyists who like to design, assemble, or manufacture their own firearms.

House Bill 7223 would require handguns to be stored in a locked safe whenever in an unattended vehicle.  Such an unreasonable requirement would require gun owners to fit their vehicles with a locking safe separate from any carrying cases they already use to transport handguns.

Again, please click the “Take Action” button above to contact your state Senator and Representative and urge them to OPPOSE Senate Bill 60 and House Bills 5345, 5725, and 7223.