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Governor Dannel Malloy rolled out new and aggressive proposals on gun control today. He and Vice President Joe Biden spoke at a conference in Danbury on gun violence. As WNPR’s The calls for harsher gun restrictions were emotional and, for some, unexpected.
After weeks of panels, town hall meetings and legislative hearings across the country, it seemed like the more severe gun control measures – like banning assault weapons or high-capacity magazines – were off the table. But at this conference on gun violence on Thursday, just over 10 miles from where 26 children and adults were gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary school two months ago, they returned in full force. Malloy proposed both measures for Connecticut.
"We need to ban large capacity magazines, and allow only the sale of magazines that hold 10 rounds or less…I propose changing the assault weapons law," he said at the Danbury conference.
Malloy’s speech marked a sharp change in policy for the administration since the Newtown massacre. Originally he had tasked the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission with putting together recommendations on what Connecticut can do better. But now, he says, time is running out.
"We run a risk of letting this critical moment in history pass us by. None of us want that to happen, and none of us should let it happen.Connecticut too must change," he said.
Malloy also called for stronger background checks on gun purchasers, tracking the sales of ammunitions, and requiring staff at gun ranges, shows, and shops to report illegal usage of weapons. He was followed by Vice President Joe Biden, tapped by President Obama to lead federal efforts for change. Those efforts, too, had seemed limited to measures like stronger background checks. But Biden was aggressively critical of those who did not want to do more.
"They say it isn't about guns. They're wrong! It is about guns!" he said, to applause.
Connecticut Republicans said Malloy was sidestepping the work of his own Sandy Hook Advisory Commission and a bipartisan task force in the legislature.
Republican House Minority Leader Larry Cafero says Malloy threw the legislature under the bus so he could look good in front of the vice president.
"So he had to pick a foil and that was the legislature -- you're working too slow, which made no sense whatsoever," Cafero said. "It's petty, it's pathetic, and it's not gubernatorial. But that’s what he did.
State legislative leaders were planning to make their own policy recommendations in March.
