HARTFORD, CT – State Senator Dennis Bradley (D-Bridgeport) said he is pleased with the advancement of legislation to strengthen our state’s gun laws, thus prioritizing the safety of Connecticut individuals and families. Legislation banning ghost guns and requiring gun owners to safely store firearms were the subject of a public hearing in the Judiciary Committee, a committee Sen. Bradley is a member of.
House Bill 7219 would ban ghost guns if passed. A ghost gun is a firearm without a serial number. In addition to firearms with serial numbers removed or scratched off, they can also be made with 3-D printers in an individual’s home and then used on the street. Due to their lack of any marking, they present a plethora of problems for law enforcement when attempting to trace these weapons. Sen. Bradley said these guns are an issue in Bridgeport and the state. He added the sooner we get them off the streets for good, the safer our state will be.
“This legislation will make cities, like Bridgeport, safer, and our state as well,” said Sen. Bradley. “These guns are harmful, difficult to trace and serve no purpose in our state. A resident can purchase a gun lawfully if they choose to own a firearm. A person owning a ghost gun has completely bypassed that process and made our state less safe and secure. I fully support this legislation.”
The committee also heard public testimony on House Bill No. 7218, or Ethan’s Law, which will require safe storage of firearms, whether loaded or unloaded, in a home with a minor under the age of 18. The bill bears the name of Ethan Song, a Guilford teen who tragically lost his life after firing an unsecured firearm at his friend’s house.
“These are common sense bills that will keep our state’s residents safe,” said Sen. Bradley. “Gun violence is a crisis in this country. Far too many innocent lives have been erased due to lax gun laws and Washington’s inability to act. We in Connecticut can and should enact laws that keep our residents’ safe.”