Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy has signed a bill into law he says will protect victims of domestic violence.
The law prohibits a person from possessing firearms shortly after a judge has issued a temporary restraining order, pending a court hearing.
Malloy says immediately taking guns away gives domestic violence victims additional protection.
“This bill will save lives. It will protect victims from senseless gun violence. It may also protect people from committing suicide during that period of time if the guns are absent from the home.”
Opponents have criticized the law alleging it violates the Second Amendment. Malloy argues that the law stands up to judicial scrutiny because all guns are returned to the owners once the temporary restraining order expires.
He says 20 other states, including New York and Massachusetts, have similar laws.
Malloy signed the bill at the State Capitol in Hartford, alongside several family members of a victim who had been gunned down by a man who was under a restraining order.
