HARTFORD--State politicians and advocates are making a plea to gun retailers to stop selling firearms to people who have not passed background checks.
"No check, no sale,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal said during a press conference Monday. “No background check, no guns," he repeated.
Waiting until a background check clears is the law here in Connecticut, but there is what many call a loophole in the federal law: If a background check is pending for more than three days, a retailer is legally allowed to sell to that person.
This so-called loophole is how the shooter in South Carolina was able to purchase a gun he used to kill nine innocent victims inside of a church. The FBI has said a full background check on Dylann Roof would have made him ineligible because of a prior drug charge.
"Retailers should not allow anyone to walk out of their store with a gun, unless that person has proven they are not a criminal,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, “and it only takes a matter of days to do it."
Connecticut's senators are among 11 of their colleagues in the U.S. Senate who wrote a letter to three of the largest gun retailers in the nation--Cabela's, EZ Pawn and Bass Pro Shops--urging them to voluntarily adopt new protocols.
Walmart, the U.S.’s largest gun seller, agreed in 2002 to not sell a gun to any customer unless they cleared a background check, even if it took longer than three days.
Those who gathered Monday hope the competition follows suit.
"I'm counting on the American people to vote with their dollars,” said Rep. Elizabeth Esty, “and I hope the corporate leaders will step up and do the right thing."
Scott Wilson, the president of the Connecticut Citizens Defense League, said in a statement, "While no one wants a firearm to end up in the hands of dangerous persons, Senators Murphy and Blumenthal would be better served to convince their cohorts in Washington to change federal law, rather than bully retailers".
He also commented on the background check system, saying, "With the untold millions of dollars in taxes that are generated by the firearms industry every year, one would think that background checks would not only be more accurate, but also accomplished with relative ease. This isn't 1950 after all."
Esty has proposed legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to close the loophole, while Senators Murphy and Blumenthal have plans to address the issue with Senate legislation.
