Lawmakers in Connecticut are considering amnesty for “assault rifle” and “high capacity” magazine owners who failed to register their firearms and/or failed to declare ownership of their magazines by the January 1, 2014 deadline.
The date for registration and ownership declaration was set in the gun control legislation signed into law in Spring 2013.
According to The Courant, “about 50,000 assault weapons were registered last year, and close to 40,000 people declared possession of [high capacity] magazines.”
However, state lawmakers are worried that many more “assault rifle” and “high capacity” magazine owners may have tried to cooperate with the law but were prevented by early postal closings on New Year’s Eve.
“Post offices closed at noon on December 31” and were then closed for the holiday. As a result, those who dropped their paperwork in the mail on the 31st “had it returned because it was not postmarked until January 2.”
State Senate Minority Leader John McKinney (R-Fairfield) said it “had come to [his] attention and the attention of others that many people who were attempting in good faith to comply with the law were not able to because of what [he] would argue were circumstances not under their control.”
But Governor Dannel P. Malloy (D) is standing strong on the registration deadline. His office sent a letter to lawmakers explaining that those who were too late were just “too late.” The letter said, “Individuals whose late registrations were not processed… can render their magazine or firearm inoperable, sell it to a licensed gun dealer, remove it from the state, or turn it over to law enforcement.”
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins.
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