Press Releases
03/10/2019
AG TONG SUBMITS TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION BILLS
Legislation seeks to implement common sense measures to increase local safety
Attorney General William Tong submitted written testimony today to the legislature's Judiciary Committee in support of a series of initiatives aimed at further promoting gun safety.Senate Bill 60, "An Act Concerning the Presentation of a Carry Permit," House Bill 7218, "An Act Concerning the Safe Storage of Firearms in the Home," House Bill 7219, "An Act Concerning Ghost Guns," and House Bill 7223, "An Act Concerning the Storage of a Pistol or Revolver in a Motor Vehicle," each seek to implement common sense gun safety measures for local communities and families.
House Bill 7218, also known as Ethan's Law, would require the safe storage of all firearms – whether loaded or unloaded – in a home with children age 18 or under. The legislation was proposed after a Guilford teenager Ethan Song, was accidentally killed by a handgun last year.
"The Songs suffered an unfathomable tragedy one year ago when they lost their son, Ethan, who was killed by a gun while visiting a friend's house. I had been in office for exactly one week when Kristin came to speak with me," Attorney General Tong wrote in his testimony. "This bill would place into law simple storage measures that would make households safer from tragedies like Ethan's. Similarly, H.B. 7223, 'An Act Concerning the Storage of a Pistol or Revolver in a Motor Vehicle,' provides common sense regulations around storage in a motor vehicle."
Under House Bill 7219, the state's gun laws would be updated to protect residents from a new public safety threat: ghost guns and the sale or distribution of blueprints for 3D-printed weapons. This legislation seeks to build on the effort that Attorney General Tong and state Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, spearheaded last year to address this new gun violence threat.
"It was my honor to help lead the passage of laws that have enabled Connecticut to have some of the lowest rates of gun violence in the nation, despite our horrific tragedy at Sandy Hook. This work included the reforms after Sandy Hook and Lori Jackson's Law, a measure which took guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and was named for Ms. Jackson, another victim of senseless gun violence. Through the courageous activism of families and individuals like the Jacksons and the Songs, teens who have experienced gun violence first hand, and parents mobilizing in cities and suburbs alike, we are finally starting to see progress on gun safety legislation," Attorney General Tong wrote in his testimony. "Senate Bill 60 and House Bills 7218, 7219 and 7223 are all common sense measures that any responsible gun owner can understand and follow."
A copy of Attorney General Tong's written testimony can be found here.
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