Rep. Bolinsky casts historic vote to enhance safety following Sandy Hook shooting

Today State Rep. Mitch Bolinsky (R-Newtown) cast a historic vote in favor of far-reaching, meaningful legislation to improve mental health services, gun violence prevention and school safety following the tragic Sandy Hook shooting.

“As a Newtown resident, a father and a Representative of Newtown in Hartford, I take seriously my responsibility to represent the community I love and call home,” said Rep Bolinsky, who represents 85% of his hometown.

“Today, I dedicate my vote to the memory of those whose lives were lost at Sandy Hook Elementary School. For the families I represent, I vote yes to a comprehensive, bipartisan bill that, while not perfect, provides a foundation of common sense firearms legislation, while preserving the rights of responsible citizens under the Second Amendment. I am also encouraged to see the bill before us as a beginning in the process of addressing critical mental health issues and establishing historic school safety guidelines, giving municipalities the ultimate choice – without mandates.”

Rep. Bolinsky delivers an emotional and humble floor speech about the bipartisan collaboration that led to this legislation.

“Twenty-six families and the entire Newtown community suffered unimaginable losses on December 14, 2012. I hope the victims’ families, our first responders and everyone affected can sleep a little better and feel safer knowing that, through an arduous and deliberate process, we in the legislature and the State of Connecticut listened carefully to all perspectives and took action. I would like to thank every resident who spoke at our public hearings, wrote, called, e-mailed, texted or engaged me on the street, at the grocery store and even at Newtown’s Edmond Town Hall movie theater.”

Rep Bolinsky continued: “Your input mattered. At my office, at my home and everywhere in between, I heard a clear message calling for change. Over 80% of those who contacted me said ‘vote for common sense firearms regulations,’ ‘vote for a mental health safety net,’ ‘vote for change’ and ‘vote for the families.’ I also heard the voices to ‘avoid making criminals out of law-abiding citizens’ and to ‘not deny rights granted under the Second Amendment.’ I think my vote today accomplishes all of the above in a comprehensive package. Is this perfect legislation? No. Is it a starting point toward thoughtful change that encourages a multi-disciplined approach to addressing and reducing the chance of future occurrences of similar acts of devastating, heartbreaking violence? I think so.”

The bill includes the following measures:

• Provides new training and support for pediatricians helping children with mental illness
• Allows school districts to train teachers in mental health first aid
• Adds new slots for case management to assist people with mental illness
• Reauthorizes a grant program to reimburse school security infrastructure upgrades
• Requires school security and safety plans be developed at each school
• Establishes committees to investigate disturbing/threatening behavior in schools
• Requires universal background checks for the sale of all firearms
• Requires a firearms permit or eligibility certificate for the purchase of long guns
• Expands the Connecticut assault weapons ban prospectively
• Bans the sale or purchase of large capacity magazines prospectively
• Prohibits persons convicted of violent crimes from eligibility in the early release program

“I am committed to an ongoing discussion about community-based solutions and other measures we can take as the people of Newtown as we move forward with our new reality. I’m pleased this legislation could be a bipartisan effort and I would like to thank the legislative leaders for working so hard to craft a deliberate set of solutions that take into consideration multiple perspectives,” said Rep. Bolinsky, who was appointed to the Bipartisan Task Force on Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety.

Rep. Bolinsky added “I have witnessed incredible strength – in people – in community. Newtown is truly a special place and I am very proud to call Newtown my home. With this vote, I stand with Newtown.”

Rep. Bolinsky, who was sworn into office in January, has spent the first few months of his term processing the thousands of messages he has received from residents calling for meaningful action.

The final vote, which came after six hours of debate, tallied 105-44 in the House of Representatives. The bill can be found here.