NRA Steps Up CT Lobbying Effort; 'Thousands' Hit Capitol To Oppose Gun Control
HARTFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The National Rifle Association is stepping up its lobbying efforts in Connecticut since the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, helping to bus gun rights supporters to the state Capitol as legislative leaders try to craft a bipartisan response to the massacre.
Hundreds of gun enthusiasts turned out Monday, hoping to urge lawmakers to oppose various gun control proposals under consideration. NRA estimated 3,000 people but state Capitol Police could not confirm the figure.
John Hohenwarter, an NRA state liaison, said the national gun rights group decided a week ago to help organize the "lobby day" because there's an accumulation of "made-for-TV lawmaking, not good policy," now being considered in Connecticut.
He said lawmakers need to "take a step back" and "really think about what they're about to do."
Meanwhile, Gov. Dannel Malloy headed to New London to discuss his gun violence prevention proposals with city officials.
The governor was scheduled to meet Monday morning with Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio and other city officials in Finizio's office.
Malloy's proposals are in response to the killings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.
They include a ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines, universal background checks and an expansion of Connecticut's assault weapons ban. The legislature is also drafting measures aimed at preventing gun violence.
New London officials held a gun buyback program on Sunday that took more than 250 firearms off the streets.
Share your thoughts in the comments section below...
(TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
