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National gun group sets its sights on CT gun safety laws

A national gun rights group has filed a lawsuit against Connecticut and other states to overturn our assault weapons ban. Earlier this year when the Supreme Court struck down state rights by reversing a New York gun permit law, it opened the doors for national gun groups to challenge state laws with broad popular support.

Connecticut has some of the most effective gun laws in the nation, and has been touted as a national model. Our ban on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines was adopted after the tragic loss of 26 children and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School nearly a decade ago. CT also adopted universal background checks, and under Governor Lamont, legislators updated the state's red flag laws and passed legislation on safe storage of guns.

“Connecticut is adopting laws that research indicates work to reduce gun injury and death,” said Kerry Raissian, director of UCONN's Gun Violence Prevention Research Interest Group.

Attorney General William Tong (D) intends to vigorously defend the state assault weapons ban. “Connecticut cannot and will not allow these weapons of war back into our communities. Not after Sandy Hook, after Uvalde, after Buffalo, Parkland, Orlando and far too many senseless tragedies,” said Tong in a press release.

Our gun violence prevention laws have stood up to past legal challenges. Governor Ned Lamont averred, “We will not allow these commonsense laws that are preventing violent crime to be eliminated.” If re-elected, Lamont intends to strengthen our gun safety laws with regulations on ghost guns.

“Personally, I find it sick that someone far away from

Connecticut would try to come in here and change our laws when

they have no idea what it meant to Connecticut to lose 26 people

almost 10 years ago, children and teachers.”

CT Attorney General William Tong

Attorney General William Tong. Bloomberg photo by Christopher Goodney

Connecticut's U.S. Senators call

for regulation of gun advertising

to youth

Last week E-cigarette company Juul agreed to pay $438 million to settle a lawsuit over the marketing of its products to teens. Yet gun manufacturers such as Daniel Defense, whose rifle was used to murder 19 children and teachers in Uvalde, continues to use imagery from the popular video game Call of Duty to sell its weapons.

Connecticut Senators Richard Blumenthal (D) and Chris Murphy (D) joined a group of senators asking the FTC to investigate the advertising practices of firearm manufacturers.

“The industry regularly and routinely makes false and misleading representations about firearm safety and unfairly exploits children and teenagers through unfair and deceptive marketing practices, including targeting teenagers, particularly young men, with advertising for military-style weapons. ...Time and again, these practices have had deadly consequences,” the group of lawmakers wrote.

Connecticut's Democratic Senators introduce federal legislation to combat gun switching devices

Police are reporting that ”auto-sears” are finding their way into CT. These are penny-sized devices, readily available on the internet, that, when attached, can convert a handgun into a machine pistol by bypassing the trigger mechanism.

The devices can be installed in about a minute and 3-D printed or purchased for less than $20. Although these conversion devices are illegal, federal prosecutions involving them have increased sharply.

In July, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D) and Chris Murphy (D) joined other senators proposing legislation to develop a national strategy to intercept these devices and ensure that proceeds from their sale are subject to forfeiture. “This bill would crack down on the illegal trafficking of these devices and stop their proliferation,” said Senator Murphy.

Greenwich Democratic

candidates proud to receive

"F" grades from NRA

The National Rifle Association, whose extreme positions against gun safety are increasingly at odds with American public opinion, released their candidate ratings. The Greenwich Democratic delegation was pleased to receive an across-the-board "F" rating.

Joe Angland, chairman of the Greenwich Democratic Committee remarked, “The 'F' grades assigned by the NRA to our Democratic officials and candidates representing Greenwich is a testament to their commitment to protecting our community from tragic gun violence while respecting the rights of law-abiding gun owners.

I could not be more pleased with these grades.”

All the Democratic Greenwich candidates running for office this year have been ranked Gun Sense Candidates of Distinction by Moms Demand Action.

Here's how the candidates scored in the NRA ratings:

"I am so honored to be awarded an “F” by the NRA. I stand solidly for gun safety, and safe gun storage. Most importantly,

I stand for a society that prioritizes our children and school safety over unsafe gun ownership,"

Trevor Crow

Democratic candidate

for CT State Senate

"To keep our state safe and maintain control over our own public safety laws, we must elect legislators who share our priorities,"

Rachel Khanna

Democratic Candidate

for CT State House,

149th District

"I want to thank the NRA

for awarding me an F.

I think their assault weapon advocacy speaks volumes for who they have become."

Steve Meskers

Democratic Candidate for CT State House, 150st District,

"If elected in November, I pledge my support for any legislation that expands our state ban on the use of assault weapons, increases background checks, and limits the availability of weapons. Moreover, Connecticut cannot do this alone. We need federal action too, because the gun trade doesn’t respect state lines."

Hector Arzeno

Democratic Candidate for CT State House, 151st District

Editorial that caught our eye

Fiorello and Sherr are too far right for Greenwich. Lifelong Republican Stella Hawkins writes, "Livvy (Floren) and Fred (Camillo) proved that being an effective legislator is forged in the hard work of compromise. However, unlike their predecessors,

Ms. Fiorello and Mr. Sherr have a disturbing habit of taking pride in always being on the losing side of the ledger. ...Neither have a track record of developing the strong relationships with colleagues that are required in the legislature to foster trustworthy dialogue and good policy. In Hartford, majority Democrats will tune them out and fellow Republicans will quickly become exhausted and frustrated with their antics."