With Conn. Gun Control Law In Place, Focus Shifts To Congress To Act
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - With Gov. Dannel Malloy's signature Thursday afternoon, Connecticut has become the latest state to enact strict gun control reforms.
But as WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau reported, debate among lawmakers in Washington to implement tighter national gun laws has effectively stalled.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who has worked both sides of the aisle on the issue, said Republicans are unwilling to consider even the basics.
"They were at the table talking about background check legislation and then they decided to walk away from the table. We're still looking for Republican co-sponsors for our ban on high-capacity ammunition," Murphy told Schneidau.
With Conn. Gun Control Law In Place, Focus Shifts To Congress To Act
Murphy said he hopes the bipartisanship that crafted the tougher gun law in Connecticut will be an inspiration to national legislators.
"The fact that Connecticut passed a bill last night with still pretty broad Republican support hopefully will inspire their colleagues in Washington to cross the aisle and work with us," Murphy told Schneidau.
Murphy said he's constantly surprised by how much power the gun lobby has in Congress and said new reforms cannot be enacted without some bipartisan support.
In a statement released following the signing of the Conn. gun control measure, Murphy urged his colleagues to come together on what he called common-sense measures.
"More than 9 out of 10 Americans support universal background checks for gun purchases. How could Congress possibly act against the wishes of 90% of the country? Connecticut has proven that Republicans and Democrats can come together to pass tough, common sense gun laws, and I hope my colleagues in Congress will join me in the coming weeks to get this done for our country," the statement said.
In the aftermath of the Dec. 14 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., New York became the first state to implement strict new gun control reforms.
What gun control measures, if any, would you like to see implemented on the national level? Please offer your comments below...
