Connecticut House votes to advance gun manufacturers liability bill
New Haven man sentenced to 2 years in prison for gun trafficking
The bill goes all the way back to 2012, when families of victims in the Sandy Hook shooting sued the manufacturer of the rifle that was used in the shooting, arguing that the way the manufacturer marketed the rifle led to it winding up in the hands of the young, unstable man who perpetrated the shooting.
That lawsuit faced several road blocks, including a federal law that shields gun manufacturers from many types of legal liability.
The bill today opens those manufacturers up to legal liability under Connecticut law. The bill states that they must exercise so-called 'reasonable control' over their sales practices and opens the door for more civil lawsuits of the type that the Sandy Hook families brought.
Most Democrats support this bill, and most Republicans oppose.
'What this bill does is it essentially requires firearms makers and sellers to implement these reasonable controls over their sales and marketing and if they don't, then there'd be a cause of action under Connecticut law,' State Rep. Steve Stafstrom (D) on the judiciary committee said.
'I think generally the concern is, this is probably a trial lawyer's dream,' State Rep. Vincent Candelora (R), the House minority leader, said. 'I don't think it does anything to make Connecticut residents safer from gun violence. It certainly will make lawyers a lot richer.'
The bill is now heading to the Senate.
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