As I enter my senior year at Fitch High School I am very excited to vote in my first election! As I was doing my due diligence on all the candidates, I have become very troubled by state Senator Heather Somers no vote on HB-5542, an act concerning bump stocks and other means of enhancing the rate of fire of a firearm. This no vote was very troubling to me because as a student, after the Parkland shooting, just like many of my classmates I was anxious and nervous to go to school. I saw this no vote and started to question why she would vote no on this bill?

Somers had attended a gun safety forum in Groton and she acted like she had the concern about student safety as a priority. The bill she voted no on wasn't even a partisan issue because eight of her Senate Republican colleagues voted for the bill. I understand the Second Amendment exists and I respect the right of anyone who wishes to own a firearm for hunting purposes or have a pistol to feel safe. But to me there is no need for any citizen to own a device that makes rifles fire more rapidly.

I ask the voters of the 18th District to join me and vote for Bob Statchen, not Somers.

Daniel Gaiewski

Mystic