Bills that would ban bump stocks and untraceable firearms pass out of committee

April 4, 2018

As another active shooter incident tragically took place in California on Tuesday — the 59th mass shooting incident this year — bills I championed that would ban bump stocks and untraceable firearms called “ghost guns” thankfully took a step forward.

House Bill 5542 which would ban a device that enhances the firing capability of a gun, and House Bill 5540 which would create stricter regulations for “ghost guns” were forwarded to the state House of Representatives for further consideration.

While Connecticut has passed some of the nation’s toughest gun laws in the wake of the tragedy at Sandy Hook, anyone is able to order a ready-to-assemble gun by mail. By banning “ghost guns” we are helping to keep firearms out of the hands of those who should not own them.

By passing HB 5542, we honor the intent of the gun laws the legislature passed five years ago which state that automatic rifles have no place in Connecticut. When a bump stock is added to a semiautomatic rifle, it is transformed into an automatic rifle. Passing a ban on bump stocks ensures that we are honoring the intent of this law as it already exists.

While these steps alone are not enough to end the national epidemic of gun violence, they are moves in the right direction.