HARTFORD, CT (WFSB) -
In less than 24 hours, Vice President Joe Biden is expected to release the recommendations from a safety task force on gun violence, which will come about a month after 20 children and six adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is praising the national call to action and even sent a letter to Biden. However, the resistance to gun control is heating up.
Lobbyist John Larkin of a Glastonbury firm has been hired by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which is the second most influential firearms group and located in Newtown near Sandy Hook Elementary School. The firm will be paid $6,000 a month to represent the foundation.
The Entertainment Software Association, which represents producers of computer and video games, will be represented by the Hartford firm of Brown Rudnic. The firm will be paid $36,000.
During his State of the State address last week, Malloy said real steps have to be made to protect children better.
In the letter sent to Biden two days after the speech, Malloy made the following recommendations for tougher gun laws and more services for people with mental illness:
- Congress should require a background check for all firearm purchases, federal firearm licenses, gun show or other private transactions or transfers.
- Any definiton of assault weapon should eliminate the possibility of manufacturers bypassing the ban with minor modifications.
- You don't need an assault weapon or a 30-round clip to go hunting.
- You don't need an assault weapon or a 30-round clip to honor the Constitution.
- We need to do a better job of collecting appropriate data to inform background checks without unnecessarily compromising anyone's privacy.
"And while we must balance our respect for individual's rights with our obligation to provide for the greater public safety, I would note one idea that has been proposed by gun advocates, which I oppose," Malloy said in the letter. "When it comes to preventing future acts of gun violence in our schools, more guns are not the answer."
However, some Connecticut legislators do not agree with Malloy's ideas.
"I am going to use my voice to make sure their voices and concerns are heard," said Republican Minority Leader John McKinney, who represents Newtown and is pushing for a bill that would ban larger magazine clips.
McKinney said he plans to work on making schools in Connecticut are safer and people with mental illness are treated better.
The governor has recently established a 16-member Sandy Hook Advisory Commission, which will review school safety, gun control laws and regulations and mental health issues.
The commission, which will be led by Chairman Scott Jackson, who is the mayor of Hamden, will release its initial report on March 15.
On Monday, a nonprofit group called Sandy Hook Promise unveiled its plan to help prevent similar tragedies.
According to the Sandy Hook Promise website, the group said it wants to bring to the table serious solutions on how another mass shooting, such as the one at Sandy Hook, can possibly be prevented in the future.
"We do not have any views at this moment," said co-founder Tim Markis. "We want to take time for a national discussion and education and then make our decision."
Click here to read the full letter from Malloy to Biden.
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© The following photo was provided by the governor's office.
