Senator Anwar Releases Statement After Attending Signing Of Minimum Wage Increase Bill Tuesday

Posted on May 28, 2019 by Webmaster

Senator Anwar Releases Statement After Attending Signing Of Minimum Wage Increase Bill Tuesday

Assembled leaders celebrate the signing of a bill that will increase the minimum wage to $15 through 2023; State Senators Saud Anwar and Julie Kushner pose after the bill’s signing.

HARTFORD, CT – Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) issued the following statement after joining Governor Ned Lamont, Senate President Martin Looney (D-New Haven), Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk), Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury), State Representative Robyn Porter (D-New Haven) and dozens of others as Governor Lamont signed legislation enacting an increase in the minimum wage.

“Today was a good day in our efforts to address the challenges of the fastest-growing segment in our community, the ‘working poor,’” said Sen. Anwar. “This bill is a step in the right direction for addressing the racial, economic and gender-based injustice that has become intrinsic in our society. I’m grateful for all of the people who have worked to address this $15 minimum wage increase over the next four and a half years.”

Captions: Assembled leaders celebrate the signing of a bill that will increase the minimum wage to $15 through 2023; State Senators Saud Anwar and Julie Kushner pose after the bill’s signing.

State Senate Passes Student Loan Debt Relief Legislation

Posted on May 28, 2019 by Webmaster

State Senate Passes Student Loan Debt Relief Legislation

HARTFORD – This evening, the state Senate passed Senate Bill No. 72, a bill that would make Connecticut more affordable for recent college graduates and the companies who hire them. The bill passed the Senate on a bipartisan 27-8 vote and now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.

State Senator Alex Bergstein (D-Greenwich), Senate Chair of the Banking Committee, originally introduced this bill. The amended bill approved in the Senate today is the product of a collaboration between Sen. Bergstein and State Senators Will Haskell (D-Westport) and James Maroney (D-Milford). It creates a tremendous opportunity for Connecticut to retain and attract talented, young college graduates.

Senate Bill No. 72, “An Act Establishing a Tax Credit for Employers That Make Payments on Loans Issued to Certain Employees by the Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority,” creates a tax credit for employers who make payments on the student loans of qualified employees.

Individuals can receive relief if they are state residents, graduated in the last five years, and refinanced their college loans through CHESLA. Employers who make payments directly on the behalf of their employees can receive a 50 percent tax credit on those payments. Employers cannot claim credits for more than five taxable years per employee or for loan payments greater than what an employee owes in a year.

“This bill will recruit and retain young people in Connecticut. It will help build the type of talented workforce that generates more revenue for our state and builds a thriving economy,” said Sen. Bergstein. “When students work in Connecticut after graduating from our excellent academic institutions, they are more likely to put down roots, buy a home, and pay taxes. This bill is pro-business and pro-growth and sends a strong signal that we want our students to stay.”

In public testimony, the Connecticut Realtors supported the legislation, noting first-time home buyers are delayed, on average, by seven years due to student loan debt.

“CTR believes that Connecticut has the opportunity this session to establish our state as a leader in addressing the student debt crisis,” Connecticut Realtors testified.

Sen. Lesser, Gov. Ned Lamont, Comptroller Kevin Lembo, Rep. Scanlon Joined By Fellow Legislative Leaders to Announce Major Healthcare Improvements

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Webmaster

Sen. Lesser, Gov. Ned Lamont, Comptroller Kevin Lembo, Rep. Scanlon Joined By Fellow Legislative Leaders to Announce Major Healthcare Improvements

New Health Care Plans Will Deliver Savings of 20 Percent Below Current Average Market Premium Costs

HARTFORD, CT – Today, co-chairs of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee state Senator Matt Lesser and state Representative Sean Scanlon, Governor Ned Lamont and Comptroller Kevin Lembo announced they have reached consensus on a proposal that will provide Connecticut residents more affordable, high-quality health care.

Under a new “Connecticut Option,” individuals and small businesses will have the choice of buying a new high-quality, high-value health care plan that could save them up to twenty percent in premiums. Consumer advocates and health care policy experts will assist the Office of Health Strategy in designing the Connecticut Option, which insurance companies will be able to offer through their own provider networks or through a network developed by the Office of the State Comptroller. Connecticut Option plans will leverage our incredible public agencies and one of our state’s leading industries to provide innovative alternatives tailor-made for our residents and employers.

The proposal also takes several steps to lower costs in the individual market. It provides additional financial assistance to low-income residents who qualify for federal subsidies and more middle-class residents who currently struggle with the high cost of health insurance. That assistance will be funded by restoring the responsibility fee on residents who can afford but choose not to purchase health insurance. The proposal also restores the reinsurance program, funded through a surcharge on insurance companies that reduced premiums in the early years of the ACA. Similar programs in other states have reduced premiums by more than ten percent. Finally, it increases competition in the market by requiring insurance companies that serve our state employees to also provide cost-effective plans through the exchange.

In addition to improving the individual and small group markets, the proposal is designed to bring better care at a lower cost to all Connecticut residents by empowering the Office of Health Strategy to monitor health care spending growth, establish an annual cost growth benchmark, and recommend data-driven solutions to lower costs. That transparency and accountability will help curb price increases across health care providers, insurance carriers, pharmacy benefit managers, and drug and medical device manufacturers.

Under the proposal, Connecticut will join Vermont, Florida, and Colorado in petitioning the federal government for permission for our residents to safely import prescription drugs from Canada at greatly reduced prices. It will now be up to President Trump to approve those petitions.

Lastly, the proposal places a small tax on the prescription opioids that have fueled our current public health crisis. The revenue collected from that tax will help restore Medicaid coverage to several thousand of the parents who lost access to that vital program under the state’s last budget.

“Connecticut is blazing a bright path towards major healthcare reform – one that other states are sure to follow,” said Sen. Lesser. “We’re showing that states can lead – we don’t have to wait for Washington. This is perhaps the most important set of healthcare reforms in America since the Affordable Care Act. We are going to the mat for seniors struggling with the cost of prescription drugs and for families and small businesses facing rising premiums and sky-high deductibles. I am proud to stand with Governor Lamont, Comptroller Lembo and Rep. Scanlon and grateful for the support of Senator Looney and Senator Duff.”

“As a small business owner, I personally know how costly it can be to find a high quality and affordable health plan for your employees,” Governor Lamont said. “As an entrepreneur, one of the keys to my company’s success was providing my employees the health care they and their families needed to thrive. Health insurance was a significant expense for my business, but providing it attracted talented colleagues, kept them and their loved ones healthy – and was just the right thing to do. No one should die or go bankrupt simply because they have the misfortune to get sick when they can’t afford to seek treatment – especially not in Connecticut, where we have some of the finest doctors and hospitals in the world. Providing quality, affordable care is also core to Connecticut’s values and critical to economic growth. That’s the same vision I have for Connecticut: create the conditions for families and businesses to succeed by bringing public and private actors together to deliver quality health care that families and small businesses can afford.”

Lembo said, “Connecticut small businesses and individuals are tired of paying for nothing – for high-deductible plans where they often never see even $1 of benefit. Our businesses, our workforce and our families deserve more, beginning with a health care system driven strictly by the value of care and not the highest prices the market is willing to bear. I am grateful to Governor Lamont and our legislative leaders for coming to the table and working in collaboration to ultimately achieve the best solution possible.”

“This health care reform is a great step towards ensuring Connecticut residents have access to quality, affordable healthcare,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney (D-New Haven). “Far too many people cannot afford to purchase a health insurance plan or their necessary prescription drugs. This is unacceptable. Having access to insurance and life-saving medications should not be a luxury available only to those who can afford it. I fully support this plan and I’m thankful for the investment of time and creativity that Governor Lamont, Comptroller Lembo, Senator Lesser, and Representative Scanlon have devoted to this comprehensive legislation.”

“The people of Connecticut desperately need and deserve relief when it comes to the high cost of health care and prescription drugs,” said Rep. Scanlon. “This landmark health care reform bill will lead to major cost savings for consumers throughout our state by offering a new “Connecticut Option” for health insurance, lowering drug prices by importing cheap drugs from Canada and providing the middle class with subsidies to help them afford insurance. It’s time for a bold strategy to lower costs and I’m proud to be working alongside Sen. Lesser, Comptroller Lembo and Governor Lamont to get this done on behalf of the people of our state”

“Americans pay the highest prescription drug prices in the world and it’s time to join states like Florida and Colorado which have said ‘enough is enough,’” said Connecticut AARP State Director Nora Duncan. “AARP supports state legislation that creates a state wholesale importation program to purchase lower-cost drugs from Canada and make them available to state residents through an existing supply chain, with clear and appropriate safeguards in place.”

Senator Kushner Takes A Stand To Improve Firearms Safety In Connecticut

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Webmaster

Senator Kushner Takes A Stand To Improve Firearms Safety In Connecticut

HARTFORD – Today, State Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury) voted to approve three new bills designed to enhance firearms safety in Connecticut: requiring guns to be stored in locked containers in homes with minors; prohibiting the manufacturing of firearms without serial numbers (so-called “ghost guns”); and requiring firearms in unattended motor vehicles to be secure.

“I support everything that we has legislators can do to prevent gun violence and to make our schools, cities and residents safer. That’s our responsibility as lawmakers,” Sen. Kushner said. “In the household I grew up in, we did not have firearms. A lot of the talk actually revolved around the problem of gun violence in America. I eventually moved to Connecticut. My Senate district, and my hometown of Danbury, is very close to Newtown. The shooting at Sandy Hook had a huge impact on me, on my family, and on the residents of my district. Each of my children had a personal connection with someone who was killed at Sandy Hook. I have always been an advocate for firearms safety, but Sandy Hook made me redoubled my efforts, and the three bills we passed today are going to keep Connecticut residents safer from the random and intolerable firearms violence that is sweeping our country. Our children and our communities will be safer because of these new laws.”

The three bills passed in the Senate today included:

Ethan’s
Law

Current
state law requires gun owners to secure loaded guns in locked containers if a minor under the age of 16 lives in their home. House Bill No. 7218, commonly referred to as “Ethan’s Law,” strengthens that law by requiring safe storage for all guns – loaded and
unloaded – and additionally increases the age restriction from 16 years old to 18 years old. The legislation further makes negligent storage of a firearm a Class D felony and requires the Connecticut Board of Education to develop a K-12 guide on gun safety.

This
bill is named for Ethan Song, a 15-year-old from Guilford who died in 2018 when he was shot with an improperly stored gun at a friend’s house. The gun’s owner could not be prosecuted in relation to Song’s death because the gun was not loaded when it was improperly
stored.

According
to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2017, at least 2,696 children and adolescents were unintentionally shot after a gun was improperly stored; more than 100 were killed. Another 1,100 children took their own lives, many with unsecured firearms. The Harvard
School of Public Health found that adolescents who die by suicide are twice as likely to have access to a gun at home than those who survive suicide attempts.1

Ghost
Guns

The
rise of 3D printing and new technological possibilities has also led to the rise of untraceable handguns. With current kits available online, anyone, including those legally unable to possess guns, can make their own firearm with no serial number in about
three hours out of a combination of plastic parts and metal parts. These guns have been seized in Connecticut towns including Torrington, Ridgefield and Waterbury and were used in California mass shootings in 2013 and 2017. In both California shootings, two
individuals who could not legally own firearms each killed five people with “ghost guns” utilizing custom-made parts.2

House
Bill No. 7219 prohibits manufacturing a firearm without a serial number, manufacturing a plastic gun that can pass through security measures if its grips, stocks and magazines are taken off, and possessing, receiving or transferring an unfinished firearm frame
or lower receiver lacking a serial number. The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection would need to issue serial numbers for those parts.

The
law provides exemptions for firearms produced by federally licensed manufacturers, antique firearms and firearms made before October 1, 2019 provided they are lawfully possessed. First-time offenses are class C felonies, but courts can suspend prosecution
for first-time offenders if the violations are not serious and an offender is not likely to violate the law further. California and New Jersey previously passed similar legislation; New York and Washington state put “ghost gun” bans into place earlier this
month. New Jersey’s law has seen success; at least 15 “ghost gun” companies ended sales in that state since it was enacted.3

Safe
Storage in Cars

House
Bill No. 7223 concerns safe storage of firearms in cars and would prohibit storing a pistol in an unattended motor vehicle, unless that pistol is in the trunk, a locked glove box or a locked safe. It would make first-time offenses class A misdemeanors with
further offenses being class D felonies. Law enforcement and certain security personnel receive exemptions, and the court can suspend prosecution for first-time offenders found unlikely to violate the law again.

This
law comes as many cities in the United States see rising numbers of gun thefts from cars, seeing year-to-year increases of up to 40 percent; Atlanta sees up to 70 percent of all reported gun thefts being guns stolen from cars.4

This
legislation can reduce the up to 600,000 guns stolen each year and reduce the number of illegal guns on streets, also preventing tragedies. In Florida, a pistol stolen from an unlocked vehicle in 2014 was used to kill a police officer later that year; in Tennessee,
a handgun stolen from a car in 1994 was traced to the murder of a teenage girl in Nashville in 2015.

Just
this week, a Hartford man was indicted for stealing firearms from vehicles in Newington and Ellington, then selling those guns to other individuals.5

Sources
1. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/means-matter/means-matter/risk/
2. https://www.thetrace.org/2019/05/ghost-gun-california-crime/
3. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-new-jersey-ghost-guns-lawsuit/new-jersey-sues-company-over-illegal-ghost-gun-sales-idUSKCN1R32DA
4. https://patch.com/connecticut/ellington-somers/charges-filed-stolen-firearms-case-involving-ellington-cars
5. https://www.thetrace.org/2016/09/stolen-guns-cars-trucks-us-atlanta/

Senator Haskell Votes For Three Gun Violence Prevention Bills, Fulfilling Central Campaign Promise

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Webmaster

Senator Haskell Votes For Three Gun Violence Prevention Bills, Fulfilling Central Campaign Promise

HARTFORD, CT – Today, State Senator Will Haskell (D-Westport) fulfilled a core campaign promise as the Senate approved three bills that he co-sponsored to reduce gun violence across Connecticut. The Senate advanced legislation that would require guns to be stored in locked containers in homes with minors, prohibit the manufacturing of firearms without serial numbers and “ghost guns,” and require pistols and firearms in unattended motor vehicles to be locked and secured.

“I campaigned on preventing gun violence, and with these bills, we come one step closer to make that dream a reality,” said Sen. Haskell. “I’m proud to be a co-sponsor of bills that will begin to address the fear that students feel when they hear a loud noise in the hallway and worry where they’ll hide in the event that their school will be the site of the next tragedy. It will begin to address the pit that many parents get in their stomachs when their child gets on the bus or visits a friend’s house. Most importantly, Ethan’s Law will keep Ethan Song’s memory alive by saving other young people from dangerous unsecured firearms. Ghost guns represent an unacceptable loophole we must close to prevent future tragedy. And safe storage in cars will ensure additional protection against firearm theft and the risk stolen guns represent. Amidst all the partisan bickering and tense negotiations, it felt good to deliver for my community and address a defining issue of my generation.”

Ethan’s Law

Current state law requires gun owners to secure loaded guns in locked containers if a minor under the age of 16 lives in their home. House Bill No. 7218, commonly referred to as “Ethan’s Law,” strengthens that law by requiring safe storage for all guns – loaded and unloaded – and additionally increases the age restriction from 16 years old to 18 years old. The legislation further makes negligent storage of a firearm a Class D felony and requires the Connecticut Board of Education to develop a K-12 guide on gun safety.

This bill is named for Ethan Song, a 15-year-old from Guilford who died in 2018 when he was shot with an improperly stored gun at a friend’s house. The gun’s owner could not be prosecuted in relation to Song’s death because the gun was not loaded when it was improperly stored.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2017, at least 2,696 children and adolescents were unintentionally shot after a gun was improperly stored; more than 100 were killed. Another 1,100 children took their own lives, many with unsecured firearms. The Harvard School of Public Health found that adolescents who die by suicide are twice as likely to have access to a gun at home than those who survive suicide attempts.1

Ghost Guns

The rise of 3D printing and new technological possibilities has also led to the rise of untraceable handguns. With current kits available online, anyone, including those legally unable to possess guns, can make their own firearm with no serial number in about three hours out of a combination of plastic parts and metal parts. These guns have been seized in Connecticut towns including Torrington, Ridgefield and Waterbury and were used in California mass shootings in 2013 and 2017. In both California shootings, two individuals who could not legally own firearms each killed five people with “ghost guns” utilizing custom-made parts.2

House Bill No. 7219 prohibits manufacturing a firearm without a serial number, manufacturing a plastic gun that can pass through security measures if its grips, stocks and magazines are taken off, and possessing, receiving or transferring an unfinished firearm frame or lower receiver lacking a serial number. The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection would need to issue serial numbers for those parts.

The law provides exemptions for firearms produced by federally licensed manufacturers, antique firearms and firearms made before October 1, 2019 provided they are lawfully possessed. First-time offenses are class C felonies, but courts can suspend prosecution for first-time offenders if the violations are not serious and an offender is not likely to violate the law further. California and New Jersey previously passed similar legislation; New York and Washington state put “ghost gun” bans into place earlier this month. New Jersey’s law has seen success; at least 15 “ghost gun” companies ended sales in that state since it was enacted.3

Safe Storage in Cars

House Bill No. 7223 concerns safe storage of firearms in cars and would prohibit storing a pistol in an unattended motor vehicle, unless that pistol is in the trunk, a locked glove box or a locked safe. It would make first-time offenses class A misdemeanors with further offenses being class D felonies. Law enforcement and certain security personnel receive exemptions, and the court can suspend prosecution for first-time offenders found unlikely to violate the law again.

This law comes as many cities in the United States see rising numbers of gun thefts from cars, seeing year-to-year increases of up to 40 percent; Atlanta sees up to 70 percent of all reported gun thefts being guns stolen from cars.4

This legislation can reduce the up to 600,000 guns stolen each year and reduce the number of illegal guns on streets, also preventing tragedies. In Florida, a pistol stolen from an unlocked vehicle in 2014 was used to kill a police officer later that year; in Tennessee, a handgun stolen from a car in 1994 was traced to the murder of a teenage girl in Nashville in 2015.

Just this week, a Hartford man was indicted for stealing firearms from vehicles in Newington and Ellington, then selling those guns to other individuals.5

Sources:

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/means-matter/means-matter/risk/
https://www.thetrace.org/2019/05/ghost-gun-california-crime//
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-new-jersey-ghost-guns-lawsuit/new-jersey-sues-company-over-illegal-ghost-gun-sales-idUSKCN1R32DA/
https://patch.com/connecticut/ellington-somers/charges-filed-stolen-firearms-case-involving-ellington-cars/
https://www.thetrace.org/2016/09/stolen-guns-cars-trucks-us-atlanta/

Caption: State Senator Will Haskell meets with Moms Demand Action supporters at the State Capitol April 23.

Sen. Lesser’s Legislation to Prohibit the Sale of Goods and Use of Building Materials Containing Asbestos Passes State Senate

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Webmaster

Sen. Lesser’s Legislation to Prohibit the Sale of Goods
and Use of Building Materials Containing Asbestos Passes State Senate

HARTFORD, CT – Today, legislation state Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) introduced to ban the sale and usage of asbestos in building materials advanced in the state Senate by a unanimous vote. Sen. Lesser, the Public Health Committee vice chair, championed this legislation during debate on the state Senate floor.

“This bill will protect public health and the environment,” said Sen. Lesser. “Recent actions by the Trump Administration‘s EPA raise the prospects of long discontinued asbestos containing products being brought back into commerce.”

Senate Bill No. 47, “AN ACT PROHIBITING THE SALE OF GOODS AND USE OF BUILDING MATERIALS CONTAINING ASBESTOS,” will expand upon current limits on asbestos products. Under the bill, introducing, or delivering for introduction, into commerce any item containing asbestos, except when the item is part of the sale or rental of real property is prohibited. This legislation also prohibits using any materials containing asbestos for building construction or repair.

The first offense is generally punishable as a class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in prison, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. A repeat offense, or an offense committed with the intent to defraud or mislead, is an unclassified misdemeanor. This is punishable by up to one year in prison, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.

This ban on introducing or delivering asbestos containing items into commerce is also incorporated into the State Child Protection Act. The Department of Consumer Protection can take certain actions to enforce the prohibition, including applying to court for an injunction and imposing civil penalties of up to $100 after notice and a hearing, with each violation and each day’s continuance of a violation deemed a separate offense.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), asbestos is the commercial name for six naturally occurring fibrous minerals which are resistant to chemical and thermal degradation. Asbestos can separate into smaller particles and be inhaled, according to the CDC.

People exposed to asbestos are at risk of developing life-threatening lung diseases like asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Sen. Lesser proposed legislation to ban this harmful product in the wake of the Trump Administration and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) choosing to not ban asbestos. According to EPA.gov, asbestos can legally be used in products like pipeline wrap, disc brake pads, gaskets, roof coatings and automatic transmission components.

Prior to passing the state Senate, this legislation made it out of the Public Health Committee by an 18-5 vote on March 8. The bill now awaits action by the state House of Representatives and a signature by Governor Ned Lamont.

Senator Flexer Speaks At Pro-Choice Rally In Support Of Women’s Reproductive Rights

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Webmaster

Senator Flexer Speaks At Pro-Choice Rally In Support Of Women’s Reproductive Rights

HARTFORD, CT – On Tuesday, May 21, Senator Mae Flexer spoke at the “Stop the Bans,” rally in front of the Capitol in support of women’s reproductive rights. The event was hosted by the Connecticut Coalition for Choice and was one of hundreds of rallies across the country held in response to the recent passage of abortion bans in numerous states.

“It is a women’s right and her right alone to decide what she does with her body,” said Senator Flexer. “I’m proud to see that there is strong bipartisan support for women’s reproductive rights here in Connecticut. However, I wish after all these years of Roe v. Wade being settled law that we didn’t have to stand here and still fight this fight.”

Last week, the Alabama state legislature signed the most aggressive anti-abortion law in recent American history. The law permits abortions only if the mother’s life is at risk or if the fetus cannot survive. It prohibits abortion in the cases of rape or incest. Other states including Missouri, Ohio, and Georgia have moved to restrict access to abortion by pushing “heartbeat” bills. These bills would ban abortion as soon as a physician is able to detect a heartbeat. A fetus’s heartbeat can be detected as early as six weeks, but this is often before most women become aware they are pregnant.
None of these laws have gone into effect yet.

“The recent abortion bans in Alabama, Missouri, Ohio, and Georgia are not only unconstitutional, but they threaten the health and safety of women living in those states,” said Senator Flexer. “This is unacceptable. Abortion is healthcare and healthcare is a human right. We need to continue to speak out and stand in solidarity with women across the country who are seeing their rights infringed upon. It’s also critical that the legislature in Connecticut continue to defend and protect women’s healthcare and women’s rights.”

Senator Flexer Applauds Senate Passage Of Three Bills Improving Gun Safety

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Webmaster

Senator Flexer Applauds Senate Passage Of Three Bills Improving Gun Safety

HARTFORD, CT – Today, State Senator Mae Flexer, a member of the Judiciary Committee, praised the passage of three bills that would enhance gun safety across Connecticut. These bills would require guns to be stored in locked containers in homes with minors, prohibit the manufacturing of firearms without serial numbers and “ghost guns,” and require pistols and firearms in unattended motor vehicles to be locked and secured.

“I’ve always been proud that Connecticut has been a leader in common sense gun safety reform,” said Senator Flexer. “Today we continued that work and passed three great bills that will protect and save lives. Gun violence is a public health issue and this bi-partisan, common sense legislation will ensure that lives are not senselessly lost due to untraceable 3D printed guns or firearms that are not properly secured.”

Ethan’s
Law

Ghost
Guns

Safe
Storage in Cars

Just
this week, a Hartford man was indicted for stealing firearms from vehicles in Newington and Ellington, then selling those guns to other individuals.5

Senator Moore Applauds Senate Passage Of Three Bills Improving Gun Safety

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Webmaster

Senator Moore Applauds Senate Passage Of Three Bills Improving Gun Safety

HARTFORD, CT – Today, State Senator Marilyn Moore (D-Bridgeport), praised the passage of three bills that would enhance gun safety across Connecticut. These bills would require guns to be stored in locked containers in homes with minors, prohibit the manufacturing of firearms without serial numbers and “ghost guns,” and require pistols and firearms in unattended motor vehicles to be locked and secured.

“100 people die a day due to gun violence,” said Senator Moore. “Hundreds more are shot and injured. Children are dying unnecessarily because of guns in the home that are not secured. Passing these pieces of legislation makes our communities and homes safer and protects our children from needless gun violence.”

Ethan’s
Law

Ghost
Guns

Safe
Storage in Cars

Just
this week, a Hartford man was indicted for stealing firearms from vehicles in Newington and Ellington, then selling those guns to other individuals.5

Senator Cohen Strongly Supports State Senate Passage of Ethan’s Law

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Webmaster

Senator Cohen Strongly Supports State Senate Passage of Ethan’s Law

HARTFORD, CT – Today, state Senator Christine Cohen (D-Guilford) voted in favor of Ethan’s Law which will require guns to be stored in locked containers in homes with minors. This legislation passed by a 34 to 2 vote.

Ethan’s Law, House Bill 7218 (HB 7218), is named for Ethan Song, a 15-year-old from Guilford who died in 2018 when he was accidentally killed by an improperly stored gun at a friend’s house. The gun’s owner could not be prosecuted in relation to Song’s death because the gun was not loaded when it was stored. Sen. Cohen championed Ethan’s Law on the state Senate floor and thanked the Ethan’s parents, Kristin and Mike Song, for their courage and hard work in getting this legislation passed.

“The passage of this legislation is a testament to the strength of Kristin and Mike Song,” said Sen. Cohen. “They speak to everyone who will listen to them about how to fix our broken gun safety laws. Due to their efforts and those of state Representative Sean Scanlon and state Senator Gary Winfield as well as the rest of my delegation, we have created a safer Connecticut for children and families. Sadly, the tragic story of Ethan Song is not an aberration, so I am thrilled we took a step in right direction to ensure the safety of our state’s young people.”

Current state law requires gun owners to secure loaded guns in locked containers if a minor under the age of 16 lives in their home. HB 7218 strengthens this law by requiring safe storage for all guns – loaded and unloaded – and additionally increases the age restriction from 16 years old to 18 years old. The legislation further makes negligent storage of an unloaded firearm a Class D felony and also requires the Connecticut Board of Education to develop a K-12 guide on gun safety.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2017, at least 2,696 children and adolescents were unintentionally shot after a gun was improperly stored; more than 100 were killed. Another 1,100 children took their own lives, many with unsecured firearms. The Harvard School of Public Health found that adolescents who die by suicide are twice as likely to have access to a gun at home than those who survive suicide attempts.1