03/11/2022
We need to get testimony in on this, if you are a gun owner it has never been more important to speak up now. Below is the testimony I sent in, it's not hard, write a few words and send it off via email. A link below will get you the info you need to write and submit your testimony.
Dear Co-Chair Winfield, Co-Chair Stafstrom, Vice Chair Flexer, Vice Chair Blumenthal, Ranking Member Kissel, Ranking Member Fishbein, and all members of the Judiciary Committee:
My name is Brian Kowalczyk, I reside in Plainville, and I am the Owner and Lead Instructor of Connecticut Fi****ms Training Academy LLC in Berlin. I also am the current Secretary of a 300 member gun club in Berlin. I am writing to you today regarding the numerous bills under consideration.
S.B. 16 An Act Addressing Gun Violence and Juvenile Crime should be rejected as a whole, the entire premise of the bill is flawed with the exception of the Statewide Fi****ms Task Force which gun owners have supported for years.
So called ghost guns are not flooding our streets and no matter what anyone says it’s not an easy process for your average person to machine and finish it. This is mostly done by hobbyists and mechanically interested and inclined persons. The state already has a requirement to preregister and put serial numbers on this type of firearm. Under section C of this proposed law it states that no person shall possess a firearm without a serial number or other mark of identification and it lists a few exemptions, one exemption I do not see is for fi****ms made prior to 1968 which were not required to have serial numbers, there are thousands of such guns in CT and some of them are valuable collectibles, you would be asking us to engrave into them something that was not on the gun from the factory, thus lessening it’s collectible value.
Adding restrictions to locations where permit holders are allowed to carry fi****ms is counter intuitive. You are attempting to stopping law abiding citizens from exercising their rights under both the Federal and State Constitutions. Banning fi****ms on public transportation? Near demonstrations? Municipal and state buildings? Are you planning on installing metal detectors at all these locations? Because if you’re not the only people this will effect are those who would do no harm, criminals will not be deterred by a gun free zone or no guns sign. This has been proven over and over again.
Removal of the line “who has reasonable suspicion of a crime” from 29-35 (b) is a violation of the 4th and 5th amendment. Police cannot stop every car to determine if the operator of a vehicle has a valid license, the default status in the United Sates is innocent, and carrying a gun is not a crime, without further evidence of reasonable suspicion of a crime the police should have no authority to demand anything from anyone.
Any further expansion of our so-called Assault Weapon law is ridiculous, adding a few more types of guns will not stop crime, it will only deter legal gun owners from being able to buy the firearm of their choice. Most states are returning the rights of the people to the people by going Constitutional Carry, 22 of them as of this writing, they also have no assault weapon laws, crime is not spiking in those states, in fact in the vast majority crime is down, unlike here in Connecticut. Additionally, by banning “preban” guns it means you are removing another entire class of fi****ms from transfer, perhaps you should look into why “prebans” were exempted both from the now expired Federal Assault Weapon ban and our own bans. To add to the argument FBI data indicates that hands and feet have killed more people than rifles of all types year after year.
Establishment of a state issued license to sell guns is again, redundant, this is handled at the Federal level as well as at the local municipal level.
Juvenile accountability should be at the top of this bill. Juveniles are running wild on the streets thanks to the loosening of our juvenile laws and the revolving door at the courts. They face no punishments that would deter them from continuing terrorizing residents of this state. I suggest you focus on this issue more.
H.B. 5416 An Act Concerning Bulk Purchases of Pistols and Revolvers is another bill that only targets law abiding gun owners who wish to purchase a legal product. There are no exemptions for purchasing an estate or even being the beneficiary of one. As a fi****ms instructor I have purchased multiple guns at the same time for use in my classes, I just recently sold three of my old class guns to one person and purchased three more to replace them, this bill would prevent me from being able to do so again when it's time to replace them. Since all legal transfers already require the buyer to hold an appropriate license, receive a NICS check and authorization through the DESPP and all sorts of paperwork it just seems this is another law that does nothing but impede the law abiding from exercising their rights.
S.B. 388 An Act Concerning the Defense of a Person’s Dwelling, Place of Work or Motor Vehicle is a great step in the right direction for this state. Everyone deserves to be able to defend themselves against what they perceive to be a deadly threat and should not be considered guilty having to prove themselves innocent.
H.B. 5415 An Act Concerning the Transfer of Assault Weapons and Large Capacity Magazines again a step in the right direction but having to go through a licensed dealer to do this transfer just adds and unnecessary barrier and cost to what would otherwise be a lawful sale between authorized parties. It also creates yet another class of citizenry who by their age and lack of prior possession are ineligible to be a part of this.
H.B. 5412 An Act Concerning the Duty to Retreat in a Religious House of Worship I am not sure why this bill was not merged into S.B. 388 (or the other way around), I support this addition as another step in the right direction.
Respectfully,
Brian R. Kowalczyk
Connecticut Fi****ms Training Academy LLC
Owner/Lead Instructor
USCCA Certified Instructor
NRA Certified Instructor
NRA Chief Range Safety Officer
Utah BCI Certified Instructor
ACTION ALERT!!! It is TIME for you to step up and protect your rights! There are 5 Second Amendment bills in the Judiciary Committee and WE NEED YOUR HELP!!! Two ways to advocate for your rights at the public hearing.Email written testimony by 8 am, Monday, March 14, 2022 (earlier…
