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Poll: Fairfield Readers Share Thoughts On New Gun Laws

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. – Connecticut’s state legislators are expected to vote this week on a set of gun control laws inspired by the Sandy Hook School shooting. Readers in Fairfield, Easton and Weston had differing opinions on the proposal.

Connecticut is now considering new laws for gun control, school security and mental health issues after the shooting at Sandy Hook School last December.

Connecticut is now considering new laws for gun control, school security and mental health issues after the shooting at Sandy Hook School last December.

Photo Credit: Al Branch (File)

This week the Connecticut General Assembly is expected to vote on the measures recommended by the Bipartisan Task Force on Gun Violence Prevention and Children’s Safety. The task force’s proposal covers three areas: gun control laws, school security provisions and mental health issues.

Posts announcing the new laws received several “likes” on The Daily Voice’s page. But some commenters expressed doubts with the proposal.

“It’s a knee jerk reaction to a tragic incident,” reader Kent Lyman posted on The Easton Daily Voice Facebook page. “It only punishes the law abiding citizens.”

Robert Davis had similar criticisms on The Fairfield Daily Voice page. Davis called the idea “Knee jerk reaction, feel good legislation that will save no lives.”

On gun control, the bill would require background checks for all firearms purchases and require residents to get permits to buy rifles, shotguns and ammunition. The bill would also ban the sale of magazines that hold more than 10 bullets. It also includes a provision that would prohibit someone from buying weapons

The proposal would also establish a registry of all those who have been convicted of a weapons-related offense in Connecticut. This database would operate similar to the state’s sex offender registry, but it would not be public information. Only law enforcement agencies would have access to the registry.

For school safety, the bill would set up a School Safety Infrastructure Council, which would set up new standards for school building designs to for better physical security. It would also issue $15 million in bonds for a state grant program to reimburse districts that want to improve their security. It also requires all schools to have a security plan that would be reviewed by the state police.

On mental health issues, the bill would institute programs that are designed to make it easier for children with mental problems to get help. It would set up training programs to help educators better identify the warning signs of mental illness, and would ask the Department of Education to consider making this program a requirement for teacher certification. Join the conversation yourself by liking our pages in Fairfield, Weston and Easton.

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