Community Corner

Witkos, LeGeyt Serving on Gun Violence Prevention and Children's Safety Task Force

The Avon representatives were two legislative leaders appointed to a task force to address gun violence, enhance school safety and increase mental health care.

State Sen. Kevin Witkos (R-8) and state Rep. Tim LeGeyt, (R-17) are serving on the Connecticut State Legislature's Bipartisan Task Force on Gun Violence and Child Safety.

The two legislators represent Avon.

According to a news release, the task force "will explore ways to make Connecticut a safer place for families and children in the wake of the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown."

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

Witkos is serving on both the gun violence and school security subgroups and LeGeyt the latter. 

Witkos said he feels that the task force should take the advice of the Sandy Hook Review panel that met Thursday — to do the research properly and look at root causes rather than work to meet a deadline. If it takes a special session that's OK, Witkos said. 

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

"I don't think we should be rushing this because we have an arbitrary deadline," Witkos said. 

While Witkos spent 28 years as a police officer, he said that before coming to any conclusions, he wants to gather more information.

"Everybody has pre-conceived notions," he said. "I want to hear from the experts." 

Witkos said he has also been flooded with more e-mails and calls surrounding the issue than he could ever answer and encourages people to attend the hearings if they can. 

Testimony can also be e-mailed to asaferconnecticut@cga.ct.gov 

The bipartisan task force will hold a public hearing focusing on school safety on Jan. 25 at 9:30 a.m., a gun safety hearing on Jan. 28 at 10 a.m., and a hearing on mental health issues Jan. 29 at 10 a.m., all in room 2C at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. A fourth public hearing will be held by the task force at Newtown High School on Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. 

More information can be found at http://www.cga.ct.gov/asaferconnecticut/

Task force subcommittee members include the following: 

Gun Violence:

Sen. Martin Looney, Co-chair

Rep. Craig Miner, Co-chair

Rep. Gerald Fox III

Rep. Stephen Dargan

Rep. Bob Godfrey

Rep. Toni Walker

Rep. Rosa Rebimbas

Rep. Janice Giegler

Rep. Dan Carter

Sen. Eric Coleman

Sen. John Fonfara

Sen. Joan Hartley

Sen. John Kissel

Sen. Scott Frantz

Sen. Tony Guglielmo

Sen. Kevin Witkos

School Safety:

Rep. Andrew Fleischmann, Co-chair

Sen. Toni Boucher, Co-chair

Rep. Roberta Willis

Rep. Patricia Widlitz

Rep. Diana Urban

Rep. Tim Ackert

Rep. Tim LeGeyt

Rep. Whit Betts

Rep. Mitch Bolinsky

Sen. Dante Bartolomeo

Sen. Andrea Stillman

Sen. Beth Bye

Sen. Andrew Maynard

Sen. Art Linares

Sen. Mike McLachlan

Sen. Kevin Witkos 

Mental Health:

Sen. Toni Harp, Co-chair

Rep. Terrie Wood, Co-chair

Rep. Susan Johnson

Rep. Cathy Abercrombie

Rep. Robert Megna

Rep. Betsy Ritter 

Rep. Prasad Srinivasan

Rep. DebraLee Hovey

Sen. Terry Gerratana

Sen. Gayle Slossberg

Sen. Joe Crisco

Sen. Rob Kane

Sen. Kevin Kelly

Sen. Joe Markley

Sen. Jason Welch


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