How could lawmakers, who received on their desks in the morning a complex, wide-ranging 139-page gun control bill that did not have a public hearing, be reasonably expected to understand the bill and its implications, and, following debate, vote on it early the next morning? Of course, most could not. And, the state, residents and other law-abiding citizens and corporations are worse off for it.
Senate Bill 1160, "An Act Concerning Gun Violence Prevention and Children's Safety," was filed the morning of April 3, 2013, in the state Senate. The bill was introduced under a special process known as "emergency certification." Connecticut General Statutes §2-26 and the joint rules of the General Assembly allow a bill to be considered without a public hearing provided the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives certify, in writing, the facts that in their opinion necessitate an immediate vote on the bill. Such a bill, which is not referred to a committee, must be on the desks of lawmakers or available electronically before final passage.
