Connecticut: Governor Malloy and Connecticut General Assembly Approve an Irresponsible and Dangerous Measure that will Victimize Responsible Gun Owners

Today, Governor Dan Malloy (D) disregarded the constitutional rights of the residents in Connecticut and signed Senate Bill 1160 into law, the most sweeping and radical “gun control” bill in our nation’s history. This measure was approved in the state Senate by a 26-10 vote and in the state House by a 105-44 vote, only hours after both chambers received the bill language.

Governor Malloy and his “Gang of Six”—Senate President Pro Tempore Donald Williams, Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney, Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, Speaker Brendan Sharkey, House Majority Leader Joe Aresimowicz, and House Minority Leader Larry Cafero—led the charge to hastily enact legislation that will forever change your Second Amendment rights and sporting heritage in Connecticut.

Labeled an “Emergency Certification Bill,” SB 1160 was approved by both legislative chamberswithout a public hearing or allowing adequate time for committee review. So the foundation of the democratic process was effectively eliminated, even state legislators were not permitted enough time to become fully versed on the bill language before voting on it. The anti-gun elite did the same thing in New York in January and are only now finding and admitting their mistakes, problems and "unintended consequences."

In less than 24 hours, a bill was passed by both legislative chambers and signed into law by the Governor. Regardless of one's views on gun control issues, the general public should be outraged at politicians enacting laws in this manner. Important policy should not be decided like this in America and especially in a state nicknamed the "Constitution State."

If your state legislators voted for Senate Bill 1160, please call and e-mail them and let them know how utterly disappointed you are in their irresponsible vote for such an extremist measure. Ask them why they voted for a measure without allowing time for public input and review. If your state legislator(s) voted against the measure, please thank them. Click here to view contact information for your state legislators.

Your NRA is fully committed to our members and all responsible gun owners in Connecticut, and is preparing appropriate legal action to address the enactment of this legislation. Furthermore, we are deeply committed to holding every state legislator -- who voted for this blatantly unconstitutional measure in the darkness of night -- accountable in the 2014 election. We are analyzing all ramifications of this act and will be communicating that information to our members soon.

The most tragic aspect of this situation is not the destruction of your Right to Keep and Bear Arms, but that certain legislators radically impacted your lives without initiating ANY proposal to keep you safe from the criminal access to or misuse of firearms. This new gun control law is not going to stop a future act of violence by a street criminal, gang member or madman who misuses a firearm.
 

In addition to contacting your state legislators if they voted for SB 1160, please contact the “Gang of Six” let them know your disgust with their backroom deal-making that betrayed the rights of responsible gun owners and tell them you will not forget.

Senate President Pro Tempore Don Williams

Williams@senatedems.ct.gov
Aide: 860-240-8634
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donald.williams.7758?fref=pb 

Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney
Looney@senatedems.ct.gov
Aide: 860-240-0375

Senate Minority John McKinney
John.McKinney@cga.ct.gov
Aide: 860-240-8846
Office: 860-240-8813
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SenatorMcKinney

Speaker Brendan Sharkey
J.Brendan.Sharkey@cga.ct.gov
Aide: 860-240-8577
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sharkey.Brendan

House Majority Leader Joe Aresimowicz
Joe.Aresimowicz@cga.ct.gov
Aide: 860-240-8581
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joe.aresimowicz
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeAresimowicz

House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero
Lawrence.Cafero@housegop.ct.gov
Aide: 860-240-0028
Office: 860-240-8708
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RepLarryCafero
Twitter: https://twitter.com/larrycafero
                                                       

Connecticut: Governor’s Commission Releases Onerous Anti-Gun Proposal

Today the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission, established by Governor Dan Malloy (D) to develop “meaningful” proposals regarding public safety and mental health, released areport that offers their interim recommendations for legislative and policy changes.  Given the report released today, it is clear that the true goal of this commission is to impose onerous gun control regulations on law-abiding gun owners in Connecticut.

The section of the report entitled “Firearms and Ammunition” will do nothing to reduce crime, and will severely infringe upon the rights of all law-abiding citizens.  This proposal would be incredibly costly and time consuming for gun owners, discriminate against hunters and sportsmen, and severely infringe upon your inherent right to self-defense and your ability to protect your loved ones.

The misguided proposal suggests the following changes to Connecticut’s current gun laws:

·         Criminalize the private transfer of a firearm

·         Require registration of all firearms

·         Require more frequent permit renewals and burdensome training   requirements

·         Ban magazines with a capacity greater than ten rounds

·         Ban ammunition commonly used for hunting and self-defense

·         Prohibit the purchase of ammunition unless it is being purchased for a registered firearm

·         Prohibit online ammunition purchases

·         Impose restrictions on the amount of ammunition that may be purchased

·         Prohibit the sale, possession and transfer of all firearms capable of firing more than ten rounds without reloading, including handguns.This proposal could effectively ban the sale, transfer, and possession of most magazine fed semi-automatic handgun, rifles and shotguns made today.

None of these recommendations would have prevented the tragedy in Newtown where the firearms were legally purchased by their owner after passing a background check and subsequently stolen.  The perpetrator of this heinous crime carried those firearms concealed without a permit in violation of CT law, violated the federal "gun-free school zone" and committed multiple counts of murder of innocent children and adults. 

These proposals put forward by the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission will only serve to burden and disenfranchise law-abiding gun owners.  Moving forward, we encourage this commission, state legislators and Governor Malloy to focus on real solutions to the current problems we face in Connecticut, including school security and improving the broken mental health system.

  

Please call AND e-mail your state legislators and respectfully express your  

opposition to these recommendations by clicking here:

http://www.nraila.org/writeyourlawmakers

Also, please contact Governor Malloy and respectfully express your opposition to these radical gun control proposals.

governor.malloy@ct.gov

860-566-4840