Connecticut: Gun and Hunting Bills Awaiting Consideration

As deadlines for bills to be passed out of committee are quickly approaching, several bills that could affect your Second Amendment rights (Governors Bill 28, Raised Bill 207 and Raised Bill 274) are awaiting action. 

Governor’s Bill 28 is currently in the Joint Committee on Government Administration and Elections.  The deadline for this bill to be passed out of committee is Friday, March 26.

Introduced at the request of Governor Jodi Rell (R), Governor’s Bill 28 would have an immeasurable impact on Connecticut's law-abiding gun owners by transferring operations of the Board of Firearm Permit Examiners to the Department of Public Safety.

If passed, an applicant who is denied a pistol permit would have to appeal to the very body, the Department of Public Safety, which rejected the permit.  The dismantling of this currently independent board would make it harder for law-abiding gun owners to regain their pistol permits if they have been revoked or denied without proper cause.

Please contact the members of the Government Administration and Election Committee TODAY and respectfully urge them to defend our Second Amendment rights by OPPOSING Governor’s Bill 28. The phone number for the Joint Committee on Government Administration and Elections is 860-240-0480.  Contact information on the individual members of the committee can be found listed below.

Government Administration and Election Committee 

State Senator Gayle Slossberg (D-14) Co-Chair      
[email protected]                  
860-240-0482

State Representative James Field (D-36) Co-Chair         
[email protected]           
860-240-8585

State Senator Edward Meyer (D-12) Vice Chair    
[email protected]            
860-240-0455

State Representative Joe Aresimowicz (D-30) Vice Chair 
[email protected]                  
860-240-8585

State Senator Michael McLachlan (R-24) Ranking Member
[email protected]               
860-240-8800 

State Representative John Hetherington (R-125) Ranking Member        
[email protected]        
860-240-8700

State Representative Thomas Drew (D-132)                                     
[email protected]                      
860-240-8500

State Representative Andrew Fleischmann (D-18)                    
[email protected]             
860-240-0420

State Representative Livvy Floren (R-149)                             
[email protected]                
860-240-8700

State Representative Auden Grogins (D-129)                                    
[email protected]           
860-240-8585 

State Representative David Labriola (R-131)                                    
[email protected]              
860-240-8700

State Representative Michael Lawlor (D-99)                                     
[email protected]                   
860-240-0530 

State Representative Patricia Miller (D-145)                                     
[email protected]                      
860-240-8585

State Representative Tim O’Brien (D-24)                                
[email protected]                       
860-240-8855

State Representative Peggy Reeves (D-143)       
[email protected]  
860-240-8585

Raised Senate Bill 207 and Raised Senate Bill 274 are currently pending consideration in the Environment Committee.  The deadline for the bills to be passed out of committee is Monday, March 22.

SB207 is designed to reduce the recent fee increases associated with hunting and fishing licenses.  While in concept, the NRA supports this bill, there are several aspects of the bill that the NRA cannot support.  Several different bills were considered to lower the fee increases. Please call the members of the Environment Committee, as well as your State Legislator, and ask them to support alternative language to this bill that has been proposed by the Coalition of Connecticut Sportsmen and backed by the NRA.  This alternative language would lower the fee increases to only 25 percent, as opposed to the two increases approved by lawmakers last year totaling more than 100 percent. 

SB274 would prohibit the "unreasonable" confinement and tethering of dogs.  This legislation could affect those who own dogs bred or trained for hunting by limiting their ability to kennel, transport, and house dogs.  NRA strongly opposes this measure.

Please contact members of the Environment Committee and respectfully urge them to support alternative language proposed by the Coalition of Connecticut Sportsmen and backed by NRA to SB207.  Also, please ask them to oppose SB274.

The phone number to contact the committee is (860) 240-0440.  Contact information on the individual members of the Environment Committee can be found by clicking here.