July 21, 2014:  

Bill Proposes Prohibition of Firearm Brands on Children’s Clothing

Last week, first-year Illinois Representative Robin Kelly (D) proposed the Children’s Firearm Marketing Safety Act (H.R. 5093), a bill which would make it illegal for firearms manufacturers to exhibit their brand on child-sized clothing and headwear. The bill provides that the Federal Trade Commission would promulgate rules to prohibit “any person from marketing firearms to children.” If passed, the bill would prohibit the use of cartoon characters to promote firearms, firearm marketing campaigns with specific intent to appeal to children, and manufacturing of firearms with colors or designs that are geared to appeal to children. A “child” is defined in the bill as an individual under the age of 18. A copy of the bill can be found here.

Connecticut Bar Association Mulls Joining Brief in Support of S.B. 1160

Last week, the Human Rights and Responsibility Section of the Connecticut Bar Association (CBA) requested that the CBA join as Amicus to support S.B. 1160, a 2013 bill passed in the wake of the Newtown shooting which banned the sale of “assault weapons” and increased restrictions on large-capacity ammunition magazines in the State of Connecticut. The decision which upheld the constitutionality of S.B. 1160 is currently on appeal in the Second Circuit. The CBA proposal will go to the CBA House of Delegates for a vote today. If the CBA votes to pass the proposal, it will be the first time the organization has joined a case in this manner since 2012, when it supported efforts in favor of extending federal benefits to same-sex couples.