Press Releases
06/23/2022
Attorney General Tong Statement on Supreme Court Decision Undermining Gun Safety Laws Nationwide
(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong issued a statement today responding to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol v. Bruen. The decision, overturning a New York handgun licensing law, substantially rewrites major gun safety precedent. While Connecticut’s handgun licensing laws differ from New York’s and are not immediately impacted, the decision invites a wave of new litigation nationwide and in Connecticut.“This decision is a radical rewrite of the Court’s prior positions on the Second Amendment and states’ rights to pass commonsense gun safety legislation. We should expect a wave of new lawsuits nationwide and here in Connecticut, coordinated by gun groups like the NRA, challenging our assault weapons ban, age restrictions on gun ownership, prohibitions on guns in sensitive locations like schools, and provisions enabling public safety professionals to review the suitability of an applicant before granting a gun permit. This decision is reckless, and the consequences for public safety nationwide are dire, but it was not unexpected. We have been working closely with advocates, legislators, and other attorneys general nationwide and are ready to aggressively defend Connecticut’s laws,” said Attorney General Tong.
Attorney General Tong joined the attorneys general of California, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in this case.
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Media Contact:
Elizabeth Benton
elizabeth.benton@ct.gov
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