Connecticut governor defends state's proposed executive gun ban order

Following the announcement that he would issue an executive order barring anyone on a terror watch list from buying a gun in the state, Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy, a Democrat, told "CBS This Morning" in an exclusive interview that the ban is a "common sense" solution.

"When we do a background check in Connecticut, we should be able to deny someone the ability to purchase a gun subject to an appeal, obviously, if they're on that list," Malloy said early Friday. "It's just common sense."

"What American doesn't think that that's the right thing to do?" he questioned.

Connecticut already implements universal background checks on gun purchases, but the order, which would need approval from the federal government, would prohibit anyone on a national no-fly or terror watch list from buying a firearm. It would also check those catalogs against the names of current gun permit holders and revoke licenses of those found on the lists.

Malloy, who has received criticism from gun rights advocates over the move, said that it would "make America safer," especially in the wake of last week's San Bernardino shooting massacre.

The Connecticut governor also echoed the Obama administration's stance when speaking about stricter gun laws: If there is a no-fly list to prevent suspected terrorists from boarding airplanes, why should they be able to purchase lethal weapons?

"It's time for right-thinking people to stand up and say, if somebody's done something that has them on the terrorism watch list, then perhaps we should temporarily delay them from buying a gun, or permanently ban them from buying a gun in a state like Connecticut," Malloy said.

Arguing against claims that sometimes such government catalogs of suspected terrorists can be flawed, Malloy explained that there is an appeal process for flagged individuals that want to purchase a gun. Many of the appeals, he said, are granted because there may have been "a mistake in the paperwork or some other thing had happened."

"I'm not saying we unilaterally and permanently prevent someone from being able to purchase a gun, but we should be able to stop it if they're on that list," Malloy said.

The Connecticut Democrat, who was the governor during 2012's Sandy Hook shooting that killed over 20 schoolchildren, also urged Congress to pass federal legislation on firearm sales.

"Of course federal legislation is necessary," Malloy said. "There should be no gun sales that are not subject to a background check. Overwhelmingly Americans agree with that."

"When the NRA can stop the Congress of the United States from passing common-sense legislation, we're in trouble as a democracy," he added. "Overwhelmingly, people want to see some level of background checks on a universal basis."