In January, 1,000 gun enthusiasts rallied at the state Capitol in opposition to stricter gun control laws. Today — two months after the shooting in Newtown — proponents of stricter gun laws will get their turn.
March for Change, a gun control group, was feeling the pressure last month to turn out a large crowd for the rally to prove that victims of gun violence will no longer be the silent majority.
The group is being led by two mothers who live in Fairfield County and felt compelled to do something.
The mothers, Nancy Lefkowitz and Meg Staunton, teamed up with Connecticut Against Gun Violence to organize a March for Change, which they describe as a grassroots, bipartisan effort in support of the gun-control group’s agenda.
Lefkowitz, who attended the Million Mom March on May 14, 2000, said gun enthusiasts have been organized for a long time and it’s time for them to experience the opposition.
“We do feel pressure because we have been bullied by the opposition long enough,” Lefkowitz said during a phone interview in January. “We need to be louder and come out stronger to ensure that our legislators understand that we mean business.”
More than 100 buses are expected to make their way to the Capitol today. The rally is expected to include some celebrity and some high-profile political speakers including Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Attorney General George Jepsen. Actresses Christine Baranski, known most recently for her performance in television’s “The Good Wife,” and Missi Pyle, who has appeared in countless television shows and movies, will be the masters of ceremony and will emcee the event.
Meanwhile, lawmakers are still considering several gun control measures but have yet to move forward to change current law. The legislative gun control task force is expected to reach a consensus and bring their proposals to legislative leadership by the end of the week.
The Office of Legislative Research estimates that there are 90 legislative proposals directly related to guns and ammunition, but many offer overlapping ideas for how to strengthen the state’s gun laws.
Gun owners who rallied at the state Capitol in January have been vocal about their opposition to any legislation that would change the state’s current gun laws.
Today’s rally starts at 11 a.m.