Conn. to Pass Gun Control Measures; Ga. Town Requires 1 Gun Per Household
Nearly four months after the horrific school shooting in Newtown, Conn., the state's lawmakers unveiled new bipartisan gun control measures that will aim to stamp out gun violence in the state.
Members of the state's legislature revealed Monday that proposals included in the new gun measures would place a ban on high-capacity magazines as well as some military-style weapons.
A vote on the new bill is expected to come as early as Wednesday, with the passing of the bill all but certain given that both houses of the state's General Assembly are controlled by Democrats.
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While there has been fierce debate on both sides of the gun control issue, lawmakers in Connecticut have come together to show that a bipartisan agreement on gun regulation is possible in other states.
"Democrats and Republicans were able to come to an agreement on a strong, comprehensive bill," Senate President Donald E. Williams Jr. said in a statement.
"That is a message that should resound in 49 other states and in Washington, D.C. And the message is: We can get it done here and they should get it done in their respective states and nationally in Congress," he added.
However, in other parts of the country, lawmakers and concerned residents are taking a different approach by requiring residents to own firearms.
In the small north Georgia town of Nelson, 50 miles north of Atlanta with a population of around 1,300, a new city ordinance was recently passed the requires residents to own at least one firearm.
Council members in Nelson approved the "Family Protection Ordinance," which requires every head of household to own a gun and ammunition to "provide for and protect the safety, security and general welfare of the city and its inhabitants," as reported by the Associated Press.
Nelson City Councilman Duane Cronic, who put forth the new measure, revealed that the new ordinance will not be enforced and that residents will not be penalized for not buying a firearm. The passing of the measure was more of a symbolic stance against perceived government intrusion.
While convicted felons and individuals with certain mental and physical disabilities will still not be able to purchase firearms, Cronic believes that the new ordinance will make the town of Nelson safer.
"I likened it to a security sign that people put up in their front yards. Some people have security systems, some people don't, but they put those signs up," Cronic said. "I really felt like this ordinance was a security sign for our city."
