Connecticut governor Ned Lamont signed House Bill (HB) 6667 into law Tuesday which includes a wide variety of comprehensive gun control measures.

The new law bans the open carry of firearms in public; strengthens the state’s ban on assault weapons; restricts the bulk purchase of handguns and increases bail, probation, and parole for repeat firearm offenders. It also expands the state’s safe storage law, requiring trigger locks on all firearms, and prohibits perpetrators of domestic violence from obtaining a pistol permit. The final version of the bill closely mirrors the proposals set forth by Governor Lamont at the start of the 2023 legislative session.

After passing the Connecticut House of Representatives last month and surviving the state Senate late last week, Governor Lamont expressed appreciation for the legislation and expressed his intention to sign it into law. According to an official statement, he said:

While I firmly believe that our country needs stronger laws at the federal level to prevent gun violence, the inaction by Congress requires each individual state to act, and this legislation that is now heading to my desk includes several comprehensive changes that modernize our firearm safety laws in a smart and strategic way to help prevent tragedy from happening. These updates are supported by the overwhelming majority of Connecticut residents because they want to live in a community that has commonsense measures that encourage gun safety and prevent harm from impacting our neighborhoods and homes.

A lawsuit seeking to enjoin enforcement of the new laws was filed late Tuesday by We The Patriots USC, Inc., a nonprofit group that aims “to create a powerful network of Patriots to preserve and reclaim our God-given inalienable rights–including but not limited to the rights recorded in the United States Constitution–through education, advocacy, and litigation.” The group claims that the new law violates the Second Amendment to the US Constitution and Section 15, Article First of the Connecticut Constitution. 

Following Governor Lamont’s signing of HB 6667, proponents of the new laws expressed appreciation. Connecticut Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz said she is “proud Connecticut continues to have the strongest gun laws in the country.” In a statement from Moms Demand Action, a volunteer said “We applaud the Connecticut legislature and Governor Ned Lamont for keeping Connecticut a national leader in the gun safety movement by passing and signing this comprehensive gun safety package.”