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American politicians at all levels have been debating the role of guns in society since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. State lawmakers have struck a deal on expanded background checks on rifles along with a broadening of the assault weapons ban and a ban on the sale of high capacity ammunition magazines. But even in the state that’s been touched directly by this violence, lawmakers struggled to reach bipartisan consensus.
After discussions yesterday, a set of proposals is now ready for a vote - lawmakers themselves are calling it the “toughest in the nation.”
The legislation includes a so-called “grandfather clause” that would ban the sale of high-capacity magazines but not their possession.
This compromise fails to satisfy the coalition called Mayors against Illegal Guns. That group, headed up by New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, has been outspoken in support of very tight gun restrictions - born from the fact that cities are indeed still where most people die by gunshot.
Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra is among the mayors involved.