Connecticut Governor Enacts Comprehensive Gun Control Measures Into Law

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont has recently approved House Bill (HB) 6667, officially enacting a range of comprehensive gun control measures.

The recently passed law includes various provisions, such as banning the open carry of firearms in public, strengthening the existing ban on assault weapons, imposing restrictions on the bulk purchase of handguns, and implementing stricter bail, probation, and parole measures for repeat offenders of firearm-related crimes.

Additionally, the legislation expands the state’s safe storage law by mandating trigger locks for all firearms and prohibits individuals with a history of domestic violence from obtaining a pistol permit. The final version of the bill closely aligns with the proposals initially put forth by Governor Lamont at the beginning of the 2023 legislative session.

Following its successful passage in the Connecticut House of Representatives last month and subsequent approval by the state Senate last week, Governor Lamont conveyed his gratitude for the legislation and confirmed his intention to endorse it by signing it into law. In an official statement, he expressed the following:

“While I firmly believe that our country needs stronger laws at the federal level to prevent gun violence, the inaction requires each individual state to act, and this legislation that is now heading to my desk includes several comprehensive changes that modernize our firearm safety laws in a smart and strategic way to help prevent tragedy from happening. These updates are supported by the overwhelming majority of Connecticut residents because they want to live in a community that has commonsense measures that encourage gun safety and prevent harm from impacting our neighborhoods and homes.”

We The Patriots USC, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and restoring constitutional rights, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday seeking “to create a powerful network of Patriots to preserve and reclaim our God-given inalienable rights–including but not limited to the rights recorded in the United States Constitution–through education, advocacy, and litigation.”

The group alleges that the new legislation infringes upon the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution and Section 15, Article First of the Connecticut Constitution.

In response to Governor Lamont’s signing of HB 6667, supporters of the new laws expressed their gratitude. Connecticut Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz expressed she is “proud Connecticut continues to have the strongest gun laws in the country.”

In a statement issued by Moms Demand Action, a volunteer said “We applaud the Connecticut legislature and Governor Ned Lamont for keeping Connecticut a national leader in the gun safety movement by passing and signing this comprehensive gun safety package.”