One New Haven legislator wants to institute ammunition control in the aftermath of what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.
State Senator Martin Looney said politicians must inspire public confidence and make children feel safe in their schools and residents feel safe in their communities. He knows this initiative alone won’t combat mass shootings, but believes it’s a start.
“A gun without ammunition is only a club. We really need to restrict access to ammunition,” Looney said.
His proposal would prohibit anyone barred from owning a gun from owning bullets or any kind of ammunition.
“If we do a number of comprehensive initiatives in the aggregate, I think we can have some impact,” he said.
Rich Burgess, president of Connecticut Carry, a gun rights lobbying group, said he is dumbfounded by this bill.
“What does this ban seek to achieve? It doesn’t make any sense,” Burgess said. “To be jumping on the bandwagon now and coming out with silly nonsensical legislation to combat what? Would have this stopped the Sandy Hook massacre?”
Looney will introduce the bill during the new session, which begins on Jan 9.
He hopes it will come in tandem with proposed restrictions on large-capacity magazines as well as the enhancement of mental health services and school security.
Burgess on the other hand says there’s already a federal law that bans the sale of ammunition to felons so bringing it to a state level doesn’t make any sense to him.
“Don’t penalize hundreds of millions of gun owners for the actions of a mad man for reasons that can’t be explained,” Burgess said.
Looney says he hopes to have this passed by February or March.
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