Gov. Ned Lamont is urging state lawmakers to pass stricter gun control measures in 黑料新闻 after a school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, that left six people dead.
鈥淲hat the heck is going on?鈥� Lamont said, speaking on 黑料新闻 Radio鈥檚 Where We Live on Tuesday. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 remember this growing up 鈥� these types of shootings, in schools, targeting the most vulnerable.鈥�
Six people were killed at a small, private Christian school just south of downtown Nashville on Monday after a shooter opened fire inside the building containing about 200 students, police said.
In 黑料新闻, Lamont is proposing new rules this legislative session to limit the sale and possession of certain types of guns. He said lawmakers also need to better regulate ghost guns 鈥� firearms that can be constructed at home and are difficult to trace.
鈥淭hese illegal plastic guns that you can turn into a machine gun,鈥� Lamont said. 鈥淭hey deliver by mail 鈥� it鈥檚 tough to keep out.鈥�
State lawmakers on the Judiciary Committee voted Tuesday , which the governor said in a statement represented 鈥渁 fair, commonsense balance that respects the rights of Americans to own guns for their own protection and sportsmanship while also acknowledging that we must take actions to protect the people who live in our communities.鈥�
Free bus rides ending, Lamont says feds cut it off
Saturday marks the end of free public transit bus rides in 黑料新闻.
Lamont said the policy, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic, was a lifeline for many working people in the state.
But the governor said the end of the rides on Saturday is due to federal regulations.
鈥淪o the feds 鈥� the federal Department of Transportation 鈥� comes to us, and this is a little odd to me, and says, 鈥榊ou can鈥檛 provide free bus service until you do an equity study,鈥欌�� Lamont said. 鈥淪o we鈥檙e going to do that 鈥榚quity study.鈥� Maybe it鈥檚 something we can revisit, but I wasn鈥檛 allowed by federal law to continue it. I wish I could.鈥�
But state lawmakers seem more cautious. While they , just this week a bill to require the state Department of Transportation to conduct that study .
The state DOT said it is undertaking a 鈥淯nified Fare Project鈥� to explore creating a uniform fare and consistent fare policies across all CTtransit and district bus services.
鈥淲e鈥檒l also look at the feasibility of expanding discount fare programs to additional riders,鈥� DOT spokesperson Josh Morgan said in a statement.
Morgan said when fares resume on Saturday, April 1, CTtransit will launch a , 鈥渕aking buying bus passes straightforward from a mobile device.鈥�
The state is also exploring 鈥渙pen loop payments鈥� that allow riders to pay fares by tapping their credit or debit card, showing their phone or using a dedicated transit app.
鈥淲e鈥檝e heard the desire for more frequent and expanded bus services from transit riders,鈥� Morgan said, noting Lamont鈥檚 budget proposal also 鈥渋ncludes significant funding for additional bus services in 黑料新闻.鈥�
Morgan said the CT DOT , on ways to improve transit.
Lamont on New Haven man paralyzed in police custody
During a wide-ranging interview with Where We Live, Lamont also discussed the latest regarding an incident in New Haven in which a man was paralyzed from the chest down last year in a police van that braked suddenly.
New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson recently recommended that four officers be fired for mistreating the man, Richard 鈥淩andy鈥� Cox.
Last week, Jacobson said internal affairs investigations found that the officers committed misconduct. Jacobson鈥檚 recommendations now go to city police commissioners. Officials say a fifth officer committed misconduct but can't be disciplined because he retired.
鈥淭he Randy Cox case was tragic,鈥� Lamont said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not typical. We have some of the best police in the country. I鈥檝e continued to try and recruit police 鈥� I鈥檝e tried to recruit the most diverse group of police, so they reflect their communities.鈥�
In January, Lamont praised legislative approval of a contract with state police. The governor would boost pay and offer tuition reimbursement and other incentives to increase recruitment.
Meanwhile, the five officers in the Cox case are criminally charged.
鈥淲hat happened in the Randy Cox case is absolutely unacceptable,鈥� Lamont said.
A lawyer for one of the New Haven officers says they're being used as scapegoats for the department's inadequate training and policies.
黑料新闻 Radio's Catherine Shen and Tess Terrible and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
