Statement from State Reps. Craig Fishbein and Greg Howard in response to the governor’s legislative proposals on gun violence

Joint statement from State Representative Craig Fishbein (R-90), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, and State Representative Greg Howard (R-43), Ranking Member of the Public Safety Committee, in response to today’s announcement of Governor Lamont’s legislative proposals on gun violence.

“While lawful Connecticut citizens are, on an almost daily basis, being victimized by brazen criminals with little fear of punishment, the governor has chosen an aged election-year tactic of attacking law-abiding gun owners in an effort to distract from his administration’s utter failure to address criminal justice policies. Everyone in Connecticut needs only answer one question to understand: Am I safer today, in my own driveway, than I was before Governor Lamont took office? I hardly think that anyone in Connecticut believes that they are.

“For at least the last two years, the message from the governor and majority party has been that the police and law enforcement are bad actors, criminals are supposed victims, and the real-life victims are just a made-up group of people fabricated by police to victimize the criminals. Perhaps looking out the window at rose colored bushes, surrounded by armed security, there is one person in our state that does feel safer with Governor Lamont in the Governor’s office.

“Unfortunately, the results of those poorly planned decisions are being seen on the streets of Connecticut with stolen cars, burglaries and car jackings on the rise and families forced to pay out of pocket to recoup major losses. The “police accountability” law passed in 2020 has been detrimental and harmful to law enforcement and the public. According to the Data-Driven Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety (DDACTS), there is a direct correlation between the number of traffic stops made by police and the rates of crime.

“If the governor were truly serious about reducing crimes, and particularly gun crimes, he would work to strengthen state law by fully funding the Statewide Firearms Trafficking Task Force, lifting prohibitions on motor vehicle searches, reinstating qualified immunity for law enforcement during the course of their duties, and holding our judicial system accountable. Pointing attention to shiny objects, while ignoring the root causes is not governance, it is manipulation through governmental negligence.”