by Earl Bloodworth, CT Mirror
June 26, 2026

When we talk about gun violence in Connecticut, we often talk about it in numbers.

We count the shell casings left on a New Haven street corner, the number of illegal firearms recovered by police, or the roll-call votes in the General Assembly.

But gun violence does not exist in a vacuum. Like a rock thrown into a pond, its ripples reverberate far beyond a single tragic night. While a headline captures the finality of a death, the living are left to carry a trauma that is constant, heavy, and deeply unfair.

That is why the passage of House Bill 5043 — now signed into law by Gov. Ned Lamont — is a profound victory for public safety, but also a moment that requires us to look more closely at what it actually takes to heal communities facing this ongoing public health crisis.

At its core, HB 5043 closes a dangerous gap by targeting “convertible pistols” and the illegal conversion switches that transform standard handguns into fully automatic weapons in seconds. By making the importation and sale of these convertible handguns a Class D felony, Connecticut is refusing to let the gun industry outpace our commitment to keeping families safe.

While critics argue federal laws already cover these devices, the reality on the ground is that criminals actively exploit these specific pistol designs. Ignoring this flood of easily altered firearms into our neighborhoods is like acknowledging a flood but refusing to patch the hole in the levee.

But as the Executive Director of CT Against Gun Violence, I know that legislation alone cannot be the silver bullet. Passing a law stops a specific product; it does not automatically heal a neighborhood. We need to get to the root of the problem.

Before leading CAGV, my career was rooted deeply in reentry services in New Haven and Bridgeport. I spent years working alongside justice-impacted individuals who were trying to rebuild their lives. I saw firsthand how systemic disinvestment, poverty, and a lack of baseline economic opportunity fuel the precise conditions where illegal gun markets and interpersonal violence thrive.

When returning citizens face hundreds of legal barriers to housing, employment, and basic stability, we are failing to address the root causes of the trauma that spills onto our streets.

True violence prevention requires a dual approach. We must advocate fiercely for common-sense, life-saving policies like HB 5043 in the halls of the General Assembly. But we must match that advocacy with unprecedented, sustained investments in community-based programs, street-level violence interrupters, and robust reentry support.

Connecticut has taken a powerful step in this direction by committing $4 million in state investment to gun violence prevention infrastructure, alongside the creation of the state’s Office of Firearm Injury Prevention. This allows us to view gun violence not just as a criminal issue but through a dedicated public health lens as an epidemic that demands deep community resources.

The passage of HB 5043 is an essential shield. It disrupts the pipeline of rapidly militarized firearms and keeps high-velocity danger out of circulation. But a shield only protects you from the blow; it doesn’t cure the underlying illness.

As this new law takes effect, let’s celebrate the political courage it took to pass it. But let’s also let it serve as a reminder of the work that remains. We must continue to build bridges, fund grassroots community intervention, and ensure that every resident in every Connecticut zip code has the safety, dignity, and opportunity they deserve. Only then will the ripples of trauma finally begin to recede.

Earl Bloodworth is the Executive Director of CT Against Gun Violence (CAGV).

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PORTLAND (WGME) — Wednesday afternoon, Tassel Top Park officials posted on social media, reporting the beach was temporarily closed to swimming after routine testing found elevated levels of E. coli in the water.

Anna Goodnik, a visitor at the park, says she was disappointed to learn she could not swim.

“It’s a beautiful lake. I feel so sorry, it’s too bad this happened,” Goodnik said.

She says she drove from Portland to visit the park.

“Very sad because I came from Portland, I drove 40 minutes,” Goodnik said.

Goodnik says she has been coming to Tassel Top Park for 15 years and that while the park remained open, she was hoping to get in the water.

“The water is so smooth right now, I would just like to swim in it,” Goodnik said.

Raymond Town Manager Glenn Michalowski said in a statement that the Portland Water District provides weekly test results for 18 locations around Sebago Lake. Tassel Top Beach was closed for swimming because E. coli levels exceeded state water quality standards.

Michalowski said testing indicated the presence of waterfowl in the area, which can contribute to elevated bacterial levels. The statement also noted that high E. coli counts after rain events and in areas with waterfowl activity are a normal occurrence across Maine beaches and recreational water areas.

Ben Peierls, research director at the Lakes Environmental Association, says warmer water can lead to more bacterial growth.

“When water gets warmer, there’s more growth of bacteria,” Peierls said.

Peierls says E. coli can come from animals such as birds, dogs and other wildlife, or from human waste. He says this time of year can bring rain and runoff that carries contaminants into lakes.

“This time of year, there’s lot of rain and runoff materials coming into lakes, and it’s coming from sources where there may have been that fecal material, and it gets washed into lakes and it shows up in places people could be recreating,” Peierls said.

Tassel Top is not the only location reporting elevated bacteria levels. Ferry Beach in Scarborough and East End Beach in Portland also reported results above Maine’s safety threshold for enterococci in marine waters.

Town officials say Tassel Top Beach will reopen once retesting confirms the water has returned to safe levels, and residents will be notified when the closure is lifted. Swimming can resume once weekly testing confirms water quality is back within safe limits.

To check the status of all beaches in the state, click here.

When the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) denied voters the ability to support a popular tax cut this November, it was more than a temporary loss for residents of one of America’s most overtaxed states. Barely a generation removed from its “Taxachusetts” moniker, the Commonwealth’s competitiveness suffered a setback with long-lasting implications.

That is why even if this battle is over, the broader fight must go on.

Recent polling from the Mass Opportunity Alliance (MOA), a nonprofit advocating for state competitiveness, found that 82% of voters supported lowering the state income tax rate from 5% to 4%. Even a poll from the Boston Globe/Suffolk University released days before the SJC decision showed 66% supporting the tax cut.

Terrified by the threat to the status quo, entrenched special interests spearheaded a legal challenge not based on the merits of the tax cut or fiscal policy whatsoever. The issue was a technicality in summary of the question written by the Attorney General. As a retired SJC justice explained, “neither logic nor law” supported removing the tax cut from the ballot.

The Court’s ruling does not change the underlying issue. The same Suffolk survey showed a majority (54%) of respondents had considered leaving the state in the last year. Nearly six in ten cited taxes and high cost of living.

This trend is well underway. Following the Commonwealth’s last tax hike in 2022, roughly 30,000 more people exited Massachusetts than arrived the following year — one of the country’s highest population exoduses. The outflow took $4.2 billion dollars’ worth of taxable income with them.

It’s no mystery as to why we’re losing residents. Survey research from MOA showed high taxes were a key driver. Not coincidentally, the top two states welcoming Massachusetts expatriates, Florida and New Hampshire, both have no income tax.

By contrast, Massachusetts has the second highest effective tax rate in the country. The Commonwealth is ranked in the bottom 10 for competitiveness.

The impact of this tax burden extends far and wide.  Businesses are choosing to leave or relocate elsewhere. Iconic brands like Cape Cod Potato Chips have had enough, announcing the closing of their Hyannis facility earlier this year. Even international soccer players are not safe, learning that 90 minutes of participation in this year’s World Cup can subject them to crushing Beacon Hill tax policies.

Massachusetts is not alone in the blue state exodus. Frustrated by high taxes, endless regulation and overall unaffordability, families and businesses are fleeing California, Illinois and New York for friendlier terrain.

What are the consequences of fewer residents? For starters, less people to tax. Smaller tax bases means less resources for schools, roads and public safety – investments that tax hike advocates typically claim to care about.

Smaller populations also mean less national influence. In 2010, the congressional delegation shrank from 10 to 9 members, and only narrowly avoided losing another member in 2020. It’s anyone’s guess what the end of this decade will bring, but current trends are not encouraging.

So what’s next?

Fortunately, a second common sense tax proposal remains on track for the ballot this fall. By reforming the state tax revenue limit, the initiative would put the brakes on spendthrift politicians and return money to the taxpayers who earned it.

To be clear, the court’s ruling does not excuse the role of the legislators. Their constituents were denied the right to make their voices heard. As their elected representatives, members of the Massachusetts legislature should be fighting for families struggling with high taxes and some of the highest costs in the nation.

“Affordability” cannot just be a political buzz word; it must be a governing principle.

Two hundred fifty years ago, Massachusetts started a revolution against an oppressive government that led to the founding of our nation. That spirit lives on today, and so does the need for change. That starts by continuing the fight for common sense tax relief by every available avenue to keep the Commonwealth competitive for the next 250 years and beyond.

Colin Reed is a senior advisor to the Mass Opportunity Alliance