WASHINGTON -- Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy (D) signed a sweeping new set of gun control reforms on Thursday, less than 12 hours after the Connecticut state legislature approved the legislation in a late-night session.
In a signing ceremony at the state capitol, Malloy called the event profoundly moving, and said Connecticut had come together in a way that few places were able to do.
"Our leaders in Washington are so divided," Malloy said, adding that "there's no excuse" for lawmakers in Washington to oppose expanded background checks.
Connecticut's two Democratic senators, Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, both support expanded gun control.
The bill requires background checks for nearly all private gun sales, and bans the sale of magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. It also expands the state's assault weapons ban to include scores of new gun models. These provisions will go into effect immediately, Malloy said, while others will be phased in.
The bill also includes new registration requirements for those who already own high-capacity magazines, and creates the nation's first dangerous weapon offender registry. In a move that many legislators applauded Wednesday night, the bill allocates at least $15 million more for school safety and mental health monitoring programs.
The legislation comes more than three months after the deadly shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, and many family members of those killed were there to witness the historic signing. President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit Connecticut on Monday to applaud the state's passage of legislation and make the case for broader gun control measures currently being debated in Congress.
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