Posted: 4/9/2026 12:04:13 PM EDT
[Last Edit: sbhaven][Edited]
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HB-5533 and SB-463 move forward to the next legislative step of being placed on the House and Senate calendars and getting a file numbers. This is the bill that would create a 250 foot gun free zone around election sites and drop boxes. There are some exemptions, including private property. https://cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=HB-5533 Text of Bill GAE Joint Favorable Substitute (doc) Committee Actions GAE Joint Fav. Rpt Bill History 4/9/2026 (LCO) File Number 548 4/9/2026 House Calendar Number 368 4/9/2026 Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, House 4/9/2026 (LCO) Reported Out of Legislative Commissioners' Office https://cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=SB-463 Text of Bill GAE Joint Favorable Substitute (doc) Bill History 4/9/2026 (LCO) File Number 570 4/9/2026 Senate Calendar Number 336 4/9/2026 Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, Senate 4/9/2026 (LCO) Reported Out of Legislative Commissioners' Office |
| It's a lot less bad than last year's attempt but still has quite a few potential concerns. I would have concerns about the implications relevant to certain public housing projects. (At least one of the polling places in my town is located within a high-rise type public housing building with additional similar buildings closely situated within the complex). I believe that it would also be important for the legislature to designate how the 250 foot zone would be measured. Would the measurement method be the same as that applied to the current 75 foot rule or would it be different? There are also very serious questions about implications (in a variety of ways) to activities in other areas of public buildings that are physically separated from where electoral activities or voters/potential are present. |