On Thursday, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy signed a law restricting the sale of high-capacity ammunition clips used in the Newtown school massacre. The new gun law signed by the Connecticut Governor also makes background checks mandatory for all gun purchases, and increases the number of gun types covered by Connecticut’s assault-weapons ban. The law also creates a $15 million fund for improving school security systems.
Before signing the bill into law, Malloy said at the statehouse, “I hope that this is an example to the rest of the nation, certainly to our leaders in Washington who seem so deeply divided about an issue such as universal background checks, where the country is not divided itself.”
The new law bans the sale of ammunition clips that can hold 10 or more bullets. Existing owners of high-capacity clips are required to register themselves with the state within January 1, 2014.
Connecticut is the state where the Newtown school massacre, killing 20 elementary school children and 6 adults, took place. The shooter Adam Lanza was able to fire 154 rounds in less than five minutes using high-capacity clips.
Neil Heslin, who lost his 6-year-old son in the massacre said, “The legislation passed in Hartford will go a long way toward reducing gun violence in Connecticut, but it’s not enough … Congress must act now to expand background checks and keep weapons of war off our streets.”
Other states that have passed stricter gun laws following the Newtown massacre include Colorado and New York. A similar bill was passed in the lower house in Maryland legislature banning all clips holding 10 or more rounds.
However, opponents are arguing that the changes made by the new bill would not have prevented the Newtown massacre, as Adam Lanza’s mother would have easily passed all background checks. Bob Crook, executive director of the Connecticut Coalition of Sportsmen said, “It’s phony. How many criminals are going to register a magazine?”
