Guilford, North Branford Reps Laud US House Passage Of Its Ethan's Law

GUILFORD, CT —Rep. Sean Scanlon (D – Guilford) and Rep. Vincent Candelora (R – North Branford), co-authors of 2019 Connecticut legislation known as Ethan’s Law, praised passage of the federal version of the law Wednesday by the United States House of Representatives.

The federal legislation was part of a package of gun control measures contained in the Protect Our Kids Act that included safe gun storage, Ethan's Law. Also included in the Act, is raising the age from 18 to 21 for semi-automatic firearm purchases, gun trafficking prevention, and modernizing the prohibition on untraceable firearms.

Candelora and Scanlon worked together to pass the original Ethan’s Law in the wake of the tragic death of Ethan Song, a Guilford 15-year-old who lost his life in an accident involving an unsafely stored gun in 2018.

“In the aftermath of an unspeakable tragedy, we were able to put aside politics and work together to pass a truly bipartisan bill that has made Connecticut safer for children,” Scanlon said. “In this divided time, we showed it is still possible to pass meaningful legislation on a bipartisan basis when it comes to reducing gun violence, and I’m proud our bill has become a model for the nation.”

The law, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, required all guns to be safely stored in homes with minors in Connecticut.

“Balancing ideas and concerns of stakeholders on any issue, and particularly those steeped in emotion and politics, is a goal (that) members of our General Assembly strive to achieve,” Candelora said. “We don’t get there as often as I’d like, but I’m proud to say that Ethan’s Law is among the times we met that challenge. It’s my hope that this bill’s bipartisan Connecticut roots will show our leaders in Washington the value of conversation and collaboration as they contemplate other issues of importance to our nation."