CT: Bill to Require Carry Permit Holders to "Show Their Papers" Defeated

Second Amendment supporters won another victory, this time in Connecticut. On Thursday, 6 April, 2017, HB6200 was defeated. The bill would have required individuals who open carry handguns to present permits to law enforcement on demand. This was the second year that such a bill was stopped. It never made it out of committee. In Connecticut, a resident is not allowed to carry a handgun outside of his home without a permit. Permits are not exactly “shall issue” but are granted to most people who apply. Here is the summation of  the bill, from ct.gov:

AN ACT CONCERNING THE PRESENTATION OF A PERMIT TO CARRY A PISTOL OR REVOLVER. 

To require individuals who openly carrying a pistol or revolver to produce their permit upon request of a law enforcement officer if the firearm is visible to such officer.

Observers might be surprised at the defeat of a bill that would have required people who openly carry handguns to present a permit to police, when such a permit is required for the legal, open carry of handguns in the state.

Connecticut is perceived as less than gun friendly. It is in the heart of the Northeast where Second Amendment rights are routinely infringed.

An important reason for the win was the existence of the Connecticut Citizens Defense League. CCDL was formed in 2009. From a small base, it has grown to over 27,000 members. That is a significant number for a state with 3.6 million residents. From CCDL.us:

“CCDL is pleased that HB6200 appears to be dead at this stage of the game. This bill was not only an unnecessary intrusion, it was advertised as something that is it was not.”

“The usual gun control proponents have for 2 years now failed to convince two different committees that there really is a need for what they’ve sought. We really appreciate the hard work of our members to help stop this bill. We could not have done this without the time and effort that they have dedicated.”

Another reason is the support of people concerned with civil rights and the abuse of police power. From ctnewsjunkie.com:

This year, it wasn’t only Second Amendment supporters who opposed the proposal. It was lawmakers from urban districts concerned about racial profiling by police.

“The bill was opposed by gun rights activists, as expected, but it was also opposed by some legislators from urban districts that unfortunately have a long history of racial profiling and inequalities,” Ron Pinciaro, executive director of Connecticut Against Gun Violence, said. “They were afraid this bill would be another reason to stop young men of color. We tried to find a way to address their concerns but were unable to reach such a compromise before tomorrow’s deadline.”

The Connecticut Civilian Defense League is gaining power in Connecticut. But the concern for the legal rights of all citizens is bringing more allies to these fights. The Florida Public Defender Association supported the reform of self defense law to allow for defensive display and warning shots. A number of Democrats have supported reform of knife laws, with the Freddy Grey incident as a reason why.

Second Amendment supporters are civil rights supporters. The NRA bills itself as the nations oldest civil rights organization. These alliances are the natural outgrowth of reforms that recognize the Second Amendment as a fundamental right in the Bill of Rights.

©2017 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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