By: José Niño
In June, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) signed a gun control law that restricts the number of handguns a lawful individual can buy within 30 days.
This law also prohibited the open carry of firearms.
On October 1, 2023, this new gun control measure went into effect. Now, Connecticut residents are limited to purchasing a maximum of three handguns on a monthly basis.
Despite the passage of this law, Sen. President Pro Tempore Martin Looney (D) still believes that this legislation is not enough to fully address the issue of gun violence. While he praised this new gun control law, he “wants to pursue further limits on monthly gun purchases.” On top of that, the senator wants the state government to pass a microstamping requirement.
Such sentiments were also shared by Connecticut Against Gun Violence’s Executive Director Jeremy Stein who wants Democrats in the state legislature to pass additional gun control measures: “We will not take a break and we cannot stop now, and we will continue to pass life-saving laws until we end gun violence in Connecticut. Our lives depend on it.”
Public Act 23-53 is the most comprehensive gun control measure passed since the passage of “An Act Concerning Gun Violence Prevention and Children’s Safety and the Firearm Safety Act of 2013.” This legislative act was passed in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and established universal background checks for all gun purchases and prohibited magazines capable of holding over 10 rounds of ammunition.
Connecticut is one of the most anti-gun states in the Union. According to Guns & Ammo magazine’s “Best States for Gun Owners” rankings, it’s ranked in 45th place. Moreover, it will be next to impossible for pro-gun reforms to ever be implemented in the state due to how Democrats firmly control both chambers of the state General Assembly — 98-53 in the State House and 24-12 in the State Senate.
Truth be told, these measures will do very little to stop gun crime. Criminals do not care about gun control regulations and will acquire as many firearms as possible from the black market. If anything, such measures put law-abiding citizens at a safety disadvantage against malicious criminals.
Sadly, in blue states, such logic escapes lawmakers, who proceed to push for measures that make their jurisdictions less safe. To make these jurisdictions safe for people to inhabit, there ultimately must be a combination of lax gun control laws and strong law-and-order policies present. Such circumstances will require a significant facelift of the present political class.
José Niño is a freelance writer based in Austin, Texas. Contact him via Facebook, Twitter, or email him at [email protected]. Get his e-book, The 10 Myths of Gun Control, here.