Witkos, LeGeyt Serving on Gun Violence Prevention and Children’s Safety Task Force [Canton Patch]

Article as it appeared on the Canton Patch website on January 25, 2013

Legislative leaders appoint members of task force to address gun violence, enhance school safety, and increase mental health care.

By John Fitts

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.

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.”

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.

“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 [email protected]

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/