Gun violence is a problem plaguing not just Connecticut, but the entire country. Governor Ned Lamont is laying out his gun violence prevention proposals with a new House bill.
Lawmakers gathered on Monday morning for a public hearing and press conference on House Bill 6667.
They said the goal is to put forth a comprehensive legislative proposal to reduce gun violence.
If the proposal is put into law, it would include:
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- Banning open carry of firearms in public
- Investing an additional $2.5 million in violence intervention programs
- Updates to the state's ban on unregistered ghost guns
- Closing loopholes in the state's assault weapons ban
It would also include so-called illegal straw purchases, which Lamont said makes it easier for criminals to buy firearms in bulk with the intention of selling them on the underground market.
"There’s a lot of gun peddlers out there trying to sell these things and trying to work around our system," said Lamont.
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"They come in, they buy a dozen guns for say $500 a gun and they sell them on the street for $1,500/$2,500 on a gun and then they claim they got stolen," added Waterbury Mayor Neil O'Leary.
Gun owners say the bill infringes on their rights.
"I want them to leave my Second Amendment rights alone. I want them to deal with people who are criminals - not just keep that revolving door of crime they always talk about. That’s what I want to see, criminals dealt with," said Hyde Harmon, of Voluntown.
"There are people who make and create guns for the purpose of selling them illegally. You are not going to be able to stop that, but if somebody is holding a gun that is illegally made and that person needs to be held criminally accountable. If you can’t hold people accountable for that type of behavior, how can you prevent those sorts of guns being brought onto the street," said Richard Boritz, a volunteer with Connecticut Gun Violence.
After the hearing, Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz and other lawmakers spoke in support of the bill. They said it increases the age to purchase guns to 21 and implements a 10-day waiting period.
"Although we are one of the safest states in the country, sadly we still experienced gun violence in our community in Connecticut. So we’ve put forward a proposal that will focus on ending community violence, ending domestic violence, ending mass shootings, ending suicides and also accidental gun violence," Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz said.
Another focus of both the public hearing and the press conference was expanding Ethan's Law, which pertains to safe gun storage for owners within the home.
