Connecticut: Governor Malloy Seeks to Increase Pistol Permit Fees to Outrageous Level

In an effort to close a multi-billion dollar budget deficit, Governor Malloy is attempting to place the consequences of his bad governance onto the law-abiding gun owners of Connecticut by nearly tripling the cost of pistol permit fees.  Currently, the $70 local fee and the $70 state fee make the cost of an initial permit $140, with renewals being $70 every five years.  Under Governor Malloy’s proposal, the state fee would be increased to $300.  With this $300 state fee and the existing $70 local fee, the total for an initial permit would be increased to $370 with $300 every five years for renewals.  Additionally, the proposed budget would increase background check fees from $50 to $75.

All of this will net Connecticut a $9 million dollars a year for the general fund against a deficit of over $3.6 billion.  Please contact Governor Malloy TODAY and express your strong opposition to this excessive burden on law-abiding gun owners!

While this increase represents a drop in the bucket for the state’s treasury, it will be very burdensome for ordinary citizens who wish to exercise their Second Amendment rights.  Law-abiding gun owners in Connecticut already have to bear excessive costs and a redundant bureaucratic process that is designed to dissuade them from exercising their constitutional Right to Keep and Bear Arms.  Further, this outrageous increase will disproportionally impact low income citizens, for whom a handgun may already represent an expensive investment towards their personal safety before such fees are taken into account.

Governor Malloy’s budget proposal cites increased workload on the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection due to an increased demand for firearm and ammunition permits as more Connecticuters seek to exercise their Second Amendment rights.  Incidentally, the Governor’s proposal acknowledges that his own efforts in 2013 to infringe upon the rights of law-abiding gun owners contributed to the increased demand on the department.

Once again, please click the “Take Action” button to contact Governor Malloy and express your strong opposition to his budget proposal!