Mixed Martial Arts back in the ring…again

Three years ago the General Assembly approved legislation that was supposed to have opened the state to Mixed Martial Arts fights in Bridgeport’s Webster Bank Arena and Hartford’s XL Center.

But in reality, the laws weren’t properly crafted on the issue of insurance and liability, so MMA nights have remained limited to the two sovereign Native American casinos.

In the latest attempt to get MMA off the ground off casino land, the General Assembly’s Public Safety Committee just approved legislation that would require extensive liability insurance. Here is the language of the bill:

http://www.cga.ct.gov/2015/TOB/S/2015SB-00901-R00-SB.htm

Approved with unanimous consent in a vote that becomes official when either the House or Senate convenes this afternoon, the bill next moves to the floor of the Senate, which is expected to refer the bill to other committees.

The committee also agreed to delay action on a bill – pursued in response to the Christmas Eve, 2011 fire in Stamford that killed three girls and their maternal grandparents – that would require smoke detectors to contain 10-year batteries.

Here’s the bill, with pertinent language in blue ink: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2015/TOB/S/2015SB-01012-R00-SB.htm

The committee vote was delayed after a request from Rep. Janice R. Giegler, R-Danbury, ranking member of the committee. “Over the last couple of years this committee has been very diligent on covering smoke detectors,” she said, crediting the Stamford delegation. “The bill before us now I have issues with.”

The legislation was opposed by major battery makers including Duracell and Energizer.

“We’ll hold it until there’s a clarification,” said Rep. Stephen Dargan, D-West Haven, co-chairman of the committee.

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