Conn. Passes Tough Gun Bill; Witkos, Hampton Take Opposing Sides

The Connecticut state legislature moved to pass the most extensive gun control bill in the nation just four months after the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown on Dec. 14. Simsbury's representatives in the house and senate took differing positions on the legislation.

In the General Assembly, Representative John Hampton (16th Dist.—D) joined the majority of Democrats who voted in favor of the bill.

"This morning, I joined both Democrats and Republicans in the Connecticut House of Representatives in supporting the most comprehensive gun violence prevention and children’s safety legislation in the nation," Hampton said in a statement Thursday morning.

85 House Democrats voted in favor of the bill, 13 voted against it and 2 were absent. 31 House Republicans voted against it and 20 voted in favor of the bill, according to the Hartford Courant.

In the Senate, Senator Kevin Witkos (8th Dist.—R) was one of only 10 senators to oppose the bill. The bill was opposed by 2 Democrats and 8 Republicans.

Witkos was unavailable for comment about his vote on the bill Thursday morning.

Hampton said his vote was shaped by the interaction he had with constituents and the information he received at many public meetings, hearings, and conferences.

"Since the events of December 14th, 2012, I have welcomed and appreciated all of the e-mails, phone calls and comments that I have received from both sides of this debate.   I have listened to experts, advocates, law enforcement officials and parents of the victims of the Sandy Hook tragedy."

"This is only the first step in a long journey that we must undertake to prevent future gun-related deaths, increase support for mental health services and strengthen the safety of our schools, while guaranteeing all the rights and freedoms that we hold dear," Hampton said.

Gov. Dannel Malloy is expected to sign the bills into law as early as today - or the minute the Connecticut House of Representatives passes them, which is expected. The governor said the new laws will take effect immediately, as the nation’s eyes are on Connecticut and the state needs to set a national example on gun control.

"This is a good moment," the Connecticut Mirror quotes Malloy. "We have a bipartisan package that moves the ball down the field quite a distance. I think it's already being heralded as a demonstration to the rest of the country of what can be done when people work together and put aside some of their differences."

News of the vote on gun control is already sparking reaction across the state. At Hoffman’s Gun Shop in Newington Tuesday, there was a line of 50 people trying to buy weapons in advance of the new laws, Bloomberg News reports. And Gun lobbyists are promising to mount a legal challenge once the laws are passed, according to the blog Capitol Watch.