Saying Connecticut runs the risk of "letting this critical moment in history pass us by," Gov. Dannel P. Malloy today proposed a series of gun control measures, including making large capacity gun magazines illegal in the state, establishing universal background checks for gun purchases, improving gun storage safety measures, strengthening assault weapons bans in the state and improving existing gun laws.
In a speech at a symposium in Danbury earlier today that included an appearance by Vice President Joe Biden, Malloy announced he would circumvent the very gun violence task force he established about two months ago in the wake of the Newtown shootings that killed 26 people at an elementary school.
Malloy yesterday said he intended to announce his own proposals because he's grown frustrated with the delays by the task force brought on by political differences among its members.
The broad outline Malloy presented for enacting gun control safety legislation includes a list of executive actions the governor's office will take, as well as asking the Sandy Hook Advisory Council to develop additional recommendations.
Some of the actions Malloy's office will take include:
- Directing state police to and requesting that state’s attorneys, probation officers, parole officers, local police, and bail commissioners report on how they prioritize crimes involving firearms pursuant to 51-277c.
- Directing the OPM Undersecretary on Criminal Justice, in consultation with state police, to determine what additional information or resources are needed to ensure the completeness and accuracy of state background checks for firearm permit applicants.
- Directing state agencies to reexamine protocols for exchanging information to ensure that background checks and state and federal databases contain the most up-to-date information about permit applicants, permit holders and firearm purchasers.
- Requesting criminal justice agencies and victim advocacy groups to report on the level of awareness and use of the existing law regarding seizure of firearms; request feedback on how to increase awareness and make it easier to report when someone who owns a firearm may pose a risk to self and others.
- Directing the state crime lab to report on the backlog of firearms traces/analysis and summarize what resources would be necessary to clear the backlog.
- Directing the state police to report to the Sentencing Commission and the OPM Undersecretary for Criminal Justice on available firearms statistics, including how many military-style assault weapons not subject to the ban have been sold in Connecticut in recent years.
You can view PDFs of the governor's proposal, as well as of his speech, above.
