Politics & Government

Councilwoman's Resolution on Gun Violence

Following is the entire resolution as submitted to Council Chairman Joe Kubic (R-9) by Councilwoman Stephanie Philips (D-2) . Kubic declined to place the item on the Town Council's agenda for Monday, Jan. 14, 2013.

READ RELATED ARTICLE, "Philips: Opposition to Gun Resolution 'Inexcusable'"

Also: "Stratford Votes to Name School After Fallen Teacher Victoria Soto"

--

Find out what's happening in Stratfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In memory of and to honor Stratford resident and Newtown shooting victim Victoria Soto;

Resolution in Support of a Ban on Assault Weapons;

Find out what's happening in Stratfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In Response to the Tragedy in Newtown CT on Dec 14, 2012

Sponsored by the Stratford Town Council

WHEREAS, the Town Council of Stratford, on behalf of the residents of the Town of Stratford, who share the sorrow of the nation at the recent tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, wishes to express our condolences to the victims and their families, to their

community, and to all whose lives have been affected by the tragic events of December 14, 2012; and

WHEREAS, the age and innocence of the victims makes that tragedy profoundly moving, but the realization of the tragedy in Newtown is only the most recent in a trail of tragedies that has occurred across the nation, and demands action; and

WHEREAS, beyond the tragedy, and the unbearable sorrow and pain, that was inflicted on one community in Connecticut on Dec. 14, 2012, the carnage at Sandy Hook Elementary School is a call to action by our nation and our leaders at all levels of government to prevent violence against children; and 

WHEREAS, such action would honor the memory of the children killed in Newtown, and honor the actions of the brave educators who stood up to the violence, six of whom died trying to protect the children in their care, while others risked their own lives to protect other children; and

WHEREAS; it is important that we honor their actions, but it is even more important that we take action to prevent future tragedies and ensure the safety of our children; and 

WHEREAS, the Town of Stratford therefore wishes to express support for the efforts begun by the President and Congress to understand the causes of such violence, the role of firearms in such tragedies, and effective actions that can be taken to prevent and deter such acts of violence; and

WHEREAS, the Stratford Town Council also wishes to express support for the call by the United States Conference of Mayors and others for the President and Congress to immediately take legislative action to accomplish such purposes to immediately ban all assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, institute comprehensive gun control including making the national background check for firearm purchasers more effective to deter individuals intent on violence from acquiring firearms, and significantly increasing the criminal penalties for “straw” purchases or illegal transfers of firearms; and

WHEREAS, in conjunction with solutions to change the culture of gun violence in the United States of America, the Stratford Town Council expresses support for critical State and Federal legislation to mitigate gun violence including proposals such as:

  • Microstamping: Require all semiautomatic handguns manufactured or delivered to any licensed CT dealer to be able to microstamp ammunition.
  • Ban Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Devices – Close loophole that allows the sale of large capacity ammunition clips if they were manufactured before 1994 and ban the sale & possession of all high capacity magazines, regardless of when they were manufactured.
  • Ban on Sale, Use or Possession of 50 caliber or Larger Weapons
  • Five Year Renewable Permitting – Extend statewide practices to require the renewal of firearm permits every five years.
  • Strengthen the Assault Weapons Ban – Broaden the definition of “assault weapon” to ban possession and sale of any weapon that has one prohibited characteristic rather than two, as current law requires
  • Universal Background Checks – Require all firearm sales be conducted through a licensed firearms dealer, so that all legal requirements are met, including a background check on the prospective purchaser.  This bill would close the private sale loophole created by federal law, which accounts for up to 40% of all gun sales nationwide.
  • Regulate Ammunitions Sales – Strict regulations to be imposed on ammunitions dealers. Requiring dealers to obtain permits, to retain detailed records, and to conduct inventory checks twice a year to account for any lost or stolen items.
  • One Gun A Month – Prohibit the sale and purchase of more than one firearm during any thirty-day period to reduce the number of guns entering the illegal market. This bill would prevent gun traffickers from buying guns in bulk and reselling to prohibited purchasers.

Federal Legislation:

S.436 Schumer / H.R. 1781
McCarthy Fix Gun Checks Act of 2011 – Ensure all individuals prohibited from buying a firearm are listed in the national instant criminal background check system.

S.1973 Gillibrand             

Gun Trafficking Prevention Act of 2012 – This bill makes trafficking or assisting in trafficking of firearms a federal crime; calls for stiff penalties to deter gun trafficking. Greater penalties for “kingpins” who organize gun trafficking rings; and makes it unlawful to ship or receive two or more firearms where the individual knows or has reason to believe that the firearms have been unlawfully obtained.
 
S.32 Lautenberg / H.R. 308 McCarthy
Large Capacity Ammunition Prohibitions – Prohibit the transfer or possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices that are capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

WHEREAS, such laws will not, and should not, prevent the safe and responsible ownership and use of firearms by the citizens of Town of Stratford, the State of Connecticut and the United States of America, for sport, recreation and self-defense purposes; and

WHEREAS, such laws should, and will, promote and enhance the safety of our children, and their right to grow up and live full and productive lives, free of fear and injury; and

WHEREAS, the Stratford Town Council further urges federal and state legislators to allocate funds to federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to enforce existing and proposed firearm safety laws; and

WHEREAS, the Stratford Town Council also urges federal and state legislators to allocate funds and resources to mental health agencies to identify and provide services and support to those individuals who may be prone to acts of violence, and to their families, in order to prevent such acts; and

WHEREAS, such legislation is a necessary, but not sufficient, step toward preventing gun violence, but is a step on the path of leadership towards accomplishing that goal; and

WHEREAS, the Stratford Town Council urges our leaders to immediately take these initial steps, then continue on that path to change the culture of violence that pervades our society, and our nation; and

WHEREAS, the Stratford Town Council will support and continue those efforts at the local level, including continuing an open dialogue with all residents on local action that should be taken to protect all residents from gun violence, but most especially our children; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Stratford Town Council does hereby:

  1. Express the sympathy of our community for the loss of life at Sandy Hook Elementary School and for all the lives affected by the trauma of the senseless act of violence inflicted on the students and staff of the School, and on the community of Newtown and beyond; acknowledge and honor the brave acts and sacrifice of the educators and staff who stood up against that senseless act of violence inflicted upon the students, and pledge to work to honor their bravery and sacrifice by supporting action to prevent such tragedies.
  2. Express its support for the call to action to control gun violence that is urged by the Conference of Mayors;
  3. Authorize the Mayor to send a copy of this resolution to the elected officials of the Town of Newtown, Connecticut, and to the School District in which Sandy Hook Elementary School is located, as evidence of the Town’s sympathy and support;
  4. Authorize the Mayor to send a copy of this resolution to the President of the United States, the leaders of the Senate and the House, and the elected representatives of the State of Connecticut in the United States Congress, the Connecticut State Legislature and Governor Malloy, the Chairman of the Conference of Mayors and other individuals and organizations, as evidence of the Town’s support for prompt and effective action to accomplish the purposes set forth above, protect the safety and wellbeing of our children by ensuring that all firearms are used safely and responsibly, and allocate the resources necessary to provide mental health services to those at risk of violent behavior and enforce gun control laws.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here