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."
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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.
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"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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