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Tom Foley on Gun Control |
Foley declined to take a position on the Connecticut law that prohibits the sale of ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. The ban was signed into law by Gov. Dan Malloy (D) last year as part of a comprehensive package that also expanded background checks for private gun sales and broadened the state's assault weapons ban to include newer firearms models. "I'm not going to rewrite the bill, but there were a lot of inconveniences put on law-abiding citizens that wouldn't have prevented what happened in Newtown," Foley said. "These guns were bought with a background check and everything was legal. My bill would have been different." When pressed further on what that alternative bill might look like, Foley said, "I'm not going to answer that question."
Foley let the remark pass. Foley has made the calculation there is no profit in expressing an opinion about whether the state was right to ban the sales of military-style weapons such as the AR-15 rifle and magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds. Instead, Foley has tried to neutralize the issue by saying he would not seek the repeal or the revision of the law, which McKinney voted for and Malloy signed. In a GOP primary, polls indicate the advantage lies not with the legislator who voted for gun control.
"Foley last month said he wanted to wait until the police report was issued on the slayings by Adam Lanza of 26 people, including 20 first-graders, at Sandy Hook Elementary School Dec. 14 in Newtown. That report is not due out until June. 'I thought gun legislation ought to focus on what would prevent another Newtown from happening,' Foley said. 'Newtown has obviously been politicized nationally.'"
Foley also accused Malloy of using the Newtown tragedy "to change the subject away from the budget; [the Newtown gun bill] includes a lot of things totally unrelated to Newtown" he said. Pressed on which aspects were irrelevant to the murders, Foley said, "Enough on gun control. It's over."
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