Teary Connecticut Governor Slams NRA and Congress on Gun Proposals
In his first post-Newtown State of the State address Wednesday, Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy said Washington's delays on national gun legislation were "unacceptable" and rejected the NRA's increasingly unpopular proposal to put a gun in every American school.
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Malloy asked for fellow lawmakers' help in working on the state's mental health initiatives. With School Superintendent Dr. Janet Robinson present, Malloy became emotional and needed a moment to collect himself while paying respects to the Sandy Hook staff who passed in the shooting. He urged for cooperation with his Sandy Hook Advisory Commission focusing on "school safety, mental health services, and gun violence prevention," despite a tight state budget. He spoke out against the NRA's plan to put an armed guard in every school, instead urging for a national conversation on gun reform:
And when it comes to preventing future acts of violence in our schools, let me say this: more guns are not the answer. Freedom is not a handgun on the hip of every teacher, and security should not mean a guard posted outside every classroom.
We also know that this conversation must take place nationally. As long as weapons continue to travel up and down I-95, what is available for sale in Florida or Virginia can have devastating consequences here in Connecticut.
The very last point in Malloy's speech slammed federal lawmakers for causing his constituents too many "sleepless nights" with the stress-inducing, last-minute cliff deals and delayed Hurricane Sandy aid votes. "While we’ve worked to manage our state's finances, national inaction hangs like a dark cloud over our budget," Malloy said. He described Washington's actions as "unnecessary," and "unacceptable." "I say this not to demean any of our colleagues in Washington," Malloy said, "but in the hope that we will better appreciate what we’ve accomplished here in Connecticut." Malloy gave some stirring final remarks and finished his speech to standing ovation.
