HARTFORD, CT – Today, State Senator Mary Daugherty Abrams (D- Meriden, Middlefield, Rockfall, Middletown, Cheshire) commended the advancement of several key bills that would protect the public and promote responsible gun ownership. With bills heard in a Monday hearing by the Judiciary Committee including bans on “ghost guns,” which lack serial numbers, as well as increased requirements to keep guns safely secured, the legislation would put protections on gun ownership and keep them away from those who might do harm with them.
Among the bills heard Monday were House Bill No. 7218, “An Act Concerning the Safe Storage of Firearms in the Home,” House Bill No. 7219, “An Act Concerning Ghost Guns,” and House Bill No. 7223, “An Act Concerning the Storage of a Pistol or Revolver in a Motor Vehicle.” This proposed legislation, if enacted, would respectively require additional gun security in family homes, prohibit home-made guns and ones lacking serial numbers, and require pistols and revolvers to be kept in safes when held in cars.
All of these proposed bills would prevent incidents that could become catastrophes. House Bill No. 7218 is also known as Ethan’s Law, named for 15-year-old Guilford resident Ethan Song who was killed last year when he found an unsecured firearm in a friend’s household. Banning “ghost guns” doesn’t just take unregistered guns without serial numbers off the street but puts legislation in place to protect against homemade guns, such as 3D-printed guns, which can have their plans downloaded off the Internet. And by ensuring guns in cars are secured, the law would put an additional step in place in the event of an attempted burglary, keeping criminals’ hands off the firearms.
“I’m encouraged by the Judiciary Committee’s consideration of these bills, which could play an important role in protecting lives and keeping our public safe,” said Sen. Abrams. “Ethan’s Law would serve to protect our children from preventable tragedies – USA Today and the Associated Press reported that more than 100 children every year die in gun accidents, with deaths and injuries being most prevalent for children under 5 and between the ages of 15 and 17, most often happening in their own homes, with legally owned handguns. It is time that we passed this legislation to protect our children.”
“Ghost guns are untraceable and dangerous, whether it’s a pistol or rifle that has had its serial number removed or a 3D-printed gun made from blueprints readily available on the Internet,” Sen Abrams said. “All of this legislation is common-sense, aimed at keeping our populations safe.”