courant.com/news/politics/hc-gun-deal-newtown-0413-20130401,0,7341094.story
Courant.com
Gun Deal Allows High Capacity Magazine Owners To Keep Them
Sandy Hook Parents Demand Changes
By JON LENDER,
jlender@courant.com
The Hartford Courant
2:40 PM EDT, April 1, 2013
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HARTFORD -- In a compromise certain to spark controversy, sources say leaders of the state House and Senate have agreed to "grandfather" existing high-capacity ammunition magazines in a gun-control package that will be released today.
The proposed compromise among legislative leaders would ban large-capacity magazines containing more than 10 bullets – such as the 30-round magazines that Adam Lanza used in the Dec. 14 Newtown school massacre – but would allow owners of existing larger-capacity magazines to keep them for at least some period of time, informed sources have told The Courant.
The bipartisan deal reached late last week by legislative leaders also would strengthen the state's existing ban on semi-automatic rifles – such as the Bushmaster AR-15 used by Lanza to kill 20 first graders and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.
The four main legislative leaders – Senate President Pro Tempore Donald Williams, House Speaker Brendan Sharkey, both Democrats, and Republicans John McKinney in the Senate and Larry Cafero in the House – were set to brief members of their caucuses Monday afternoon in their understanding, which is to be voted on in both House and Senate alter this week.
The deal sets up a potential conflict between those legislative leaders seeking a gun-control compromise and a coalition of the most outspoken parents of victims of the Newtown school massacre.
A group of those parents held a press conference in the State Capitol Monday morning to demand an up-or-down vote on an amendment that would ban the high-capacity magazines outright and not allow existing owners to keep them under a so-called "grandfather clause," as the agreement negotiated by the leaders reportedly provides.
"We specifically want an up or down vote on the banning of these large-capacity magazines with no grandfathering clause," said Nicole Hockley, whose son, Dylan, 6, was killed Dec. 14. "Because we learned, the way that no other parents should learn, that the most dangerous, dangerous part of an assault weapon is the magazine."
"The horrible, brutal truth is that 154 bullets were fired in four minutes, killing our children, our daughters, our wives. The shooter carried 10, 30-round large-capacity magazines," Hockley said. "We have learned that in the time it took him to reload in one of the classrooms, 11 child were able to escape. We ask ourselves every day – every minute – if those magazines had held 10 rounds, forcing the shooter to reload at least six more times, would our children be alive today?"
Hockley said she and the other parents ask legislators to "have the courage to stand up for what you know is right" and "not to grandfather existing large capacity magazines, as part of the comprehensive gun legislation before you."
"The proposal, however, grandfathers existing large capacity magazines, leaving a gaping loophole on what we believe is the most dangerous feature of an assault weapon," said William Sherlach, whose wife, the school psychologist at Sandy Hook Elementary, died in the attack.
Sherlach and others supporters of a ban on magazines that allow a gun to shoot more than 10 rounds at a time say that the Sandy Hook shooter, Adam Lanza, might not have killed as many people if he had been forced to stop and reload. Lanza killed himself during the attack.
Sherlach was reading aloud from a letter that was sent Monday to state legislative leaders and signed by 24 people, 11 of whose children or other family members were killed at Sandy Hook. The letter continued: "Individuals will easily be able to purchase high capacity magazines in other states, bring them to Connecticut and claim to have owned them before the law took effect. Proving that the purchase or transfer took place post-enactment will be difficult, if not impossible."
Hockley said that she thinks a more reasonable approach would be to give owners of high-capacity magazines six months or a year to give them up. "My personal opinion is six months to a year is a reasonable point for hand back or buyback – whatever method is decided on that gives people enough time to do what they need to do."
While legislative leaders have declined to comment on specifics of their gun-control agreement, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy responded quickly to news about the compromise.
"I have been clear for weeks that a ban on the possession and sale of high capacity magazines is an important part of our effort to prevent gun violence – simply banning their sale moving forward would not be an effective solution. This morning, we heard from victims' families on that very point. They've asked for an up or down vote on that provision and, whether it's in the larger bill or as an amendment, the families, and every resident of our state, deserve a vote. We know this is an issue that has bipartisan support, including from Senate Minority Leader John McKinney. We cannot lose sight of our ultimate goal – improving public safety for all of our residents, including our children."
Under the legislative leaders' grandfather clause for high-capacity magazines, owners would have to submit to what lawmakers believe may be the first state registration procedure ever imposed on magazines, an informed source said Monday. The way it would work, owners would have to declare officially how many magazines they possess with a capacity greater than 10 bullets.
Under the new system, the high-capacity magazines – for example, a 30-round magazine – could never be loaded with more than 10 bullets outside the home, with one exception: The large-capacity magazine could be fully loaded at a licensed shooting range, the source said.
Those limitations would apply no matter what other permit the owner of the magazines possesses, such as a permit to carry a pistol, the source said.
McKinney said he expects a formal announcement of the compromise legislation later Monday after the four caucuses finish their meetings at the Capitol.
The rest of the legislative package is said to include tighter registration procedures and "universal background checks" for purchasers of all firearms, whether the purchase is from a retail store or between individuals.
