Governor Ned Lamont has signed a new Connecticut law that prohibits the sale and importation of pistols that can be easily converted into fully automatic machine guns.
The law is the latest in a series of gun safety regulations Connecticut has adopted over more than 30 years.
The laws have helped reduce gun violence in the state, Lamont said at the signing ceremony in New Haven on Friday.
“That’s one of the reasons we have much lower gun crimes than just about any other state. And dramatically less than those states that do not have the same type of gun safety laws that we do,” Lamont said.
Only two gun-related homicides were reported in Bridgeport last year, said State Representative Stafstrom (D-Bridgeport), co-chair of the Judiciary Committee.
“Could you ever imagine a day where the city of Bridgeport would go an entire year where there would only be two people murdered in that city? The city was facing 60, 70, 80, 90 murders a year. It would have seemed absolutely impossible,” Stafstrom said.
“We have seen the lowest gun violence in more than a decade,” New Haven Democratic Mayor Justin Elicker said. Adding there have been no homicides since the beginning of this year.
The new law targets specific pistols, including several Glock models. Proponents say the weapons are designed to be readily converted with an attachment into automatic weapons, allowing the discharge of a high volume of ammunition in a very short period of time.
Violations of the law are a class D felony punishable by five years in prison, a $5,000 fine, or both.
The new law received final legislative approval from the majority Democrats in the state Senate on the last day of this year’s legislative session, overcoming Republican opposition.
“It's legally vulnerable, and destined to become another expensive court battle taxpayers will be forced to fund," said state Senator Rob Sampson (R-Wolcott) in a statement after Lamont signed the law.
The people affected by this law are not gang members or violent felons. They are the responsible citizens who exercise their constitutional right to keep and bear arms, Sampson said.
