The Connecticut Senate has given final approval to a state ban on the future sale of pistols that can be easily modified into submachine guns.
The vote came shortly after 7:20 a.m. Wednesday morning on the final day of the state legislative session.
The controversial bill is backed by Governor Ned Lamont and many local police chiefs. It’s aimed at specific pistols, including several models manufactured by Glock.
The bill passed in the House two weeks ago but wasn’t considered in the Senate until shortly after 3 a.m. on Wednesday.
The House has tried to avoid such overnight sessions under Speaker Matt Ritter (D-Hartford), but he understands the Senate’s dilemma with the session adjournment deadline looming.
“Do I think they wanted to do a bill at 7 o’clock in the morning? No,” Ritter said.
“There’s a balance here where unlimited debate can be limited if you go too far. And I think clearly whatever happened they felt they had to do this at this time,” he said.
House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora (R-North Branford) was less understanding.
“I put it on the Democrat Party,” Candelora said. “We should not be calling bills at 3 a.m. And it’s something that doesn’t happen in the House."
The bill would make it a class D felony to sell new convertible firearms that can be easily modified by an attachment called a “Glock Switch.”
The guns would have to be manufactured after Oct. 1 this year. The bill now goes to Lamont’s desk for his signature.
