New Gun Ban in Bridgeport?

Yesterday, Bridgeport mayor (and convicted felon and failed Gubernatorial candidate) Joe Ganim signed some sort of city ordinance supposedly banning 3-D printed weapons and so-called “ghost guns” in Bridgeport. You can see the press conference in the video below, courtesy of DoingItLocal.com.

I say “supposedly”, because CCDL has not been allowed to see the actual text of the ordinance. CCDL President Scott Wilson requested a copy of it for review, and was told he needed to file a Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) request and pay a fee.

Seriously.

This is a city ordinance that may subject gun owners to fines or arrest. People who are carefully following all applicable state and federal laws may be committing a crime if they step foot in the largest city in Connecticut, and those people are not allowed to actually SEE the law in advance? I guess Bridgeport is taking a cue from Nancy Pelosi – you have to be arrested or fined for breaking the law before you can know what’s in the law.

So here is the request CCDL made:

Greetings,

I am asking for a copy of the “Ghost Gun” ordinance that was reportedly signed yesterday, and has been reported in several news outlets. I cannot find it available anywhere.

Please attach a copy of the text and/or a copy of the signed document.

Best Regards,
Scott Wilson

And here is the response from Mayor Ganim’s office:

Mr. Wilson,

The easiest way for you to get a copy is to go to the City website at bridgeportct.gov, select the FOI portal and submit a request. Should you have any questions, please contact me.

Regards,
Ed

Edward M. Adams
Senior Mayoral Advisor
Dir. of Gov. Accountability & Integrity
City of Bridgeport
999 Broad Street
Brideport, CT 06604
Telephone 203-576-7201

So, we have filed the FOIA, and will attempt to get our members a copy of the new ordinance via other faster means.

Dear President Scott Wilson

The City of Bridgeport has received your request as of: October 11, 2018. We are reviewing your request and will contact you in writing when the requested information is available. Your request has been given the reference number [redacted] for tracking purposes.

Please note that pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, this City is not required to answer questions; the City is required to provide copies of all non-exempt documents.

Also, please be aware there are statutorily authorized costs associated with responding to your request, as set forth in C.G.S. Section 1-212 and if the anticipated fee for the document(s) you requested is greater than ten dollars, the City will require a deposit of the estimated copying cost prior to copying.

Very truly yours,

OFFICE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY

Stay tuned!