Connecticut Mag Ban Bill Dies In Committee

The proposed ban on magazines with greater than 10-round capacities, SB 1094, has essentially died in committee. As the Hartford Courant reports, the bill had to have passed out of committee by this past Friday to have been considered as a stand alone bill. That said, it could be added as an amendment to an existing bill in the future.

SB 1094 would not only have banned the sale of standard capacity magazines, it would have outlawed their possession and would have required owners to turn them into their local police departments within 90 days. Failure to turn in the magazines would have been a felony if the law had passed.

As reported a month ago, the bill attracted a lot of opposition with many people testifying before the Joint Judiciary Committee of the General Assembly. It also brought forth statements from some Connecticut mayors and police chiefs that were studies in willful ignorance.

Senator John Kissell, the ranking Republican on the committee, says that the number of people who took the time to testify against it was an important factor in it dying in committee.

To Kissel, the committee's decision to let the proposal die proves that public opinion can affect public policy. "We're always open to listening to our constituents," he said. "When over 200 people are willing to spend 12 hours at a public hearing, it has a huge impact."

There is no word yet if the bill's sponsors will try to attach it as an amendment to another bill. For now, it is a loss for gun control advocates and Mayor Bloomberg's Illegal Mayors.