Connecticut Lawmakers To Debate Gun Laws

Lawmakers in Connecticut kick off their new legislative session Wednesday, offering a raft of bills to rein in guns, such as banning the Bushmaster AR-15 rifle that was used in the Newtown shooting and large-capacity ammunition magazines.

There's also a proposal to tax bullets, an idea that's been around for a while but hasn't passed anywhere in the country.

Connecticut is one of seven states that bans some assault weapons. But it has so many loopholes it didn't stop Newtown suspect Adam Lanza, whose mother legally owned a Bushmaster that was "Connecticut-legal," or modified enough to allow residents to own it.

Bills to tighten gun rules in Connecticut have repeatedly failed since the assault weapons ban was passed in 1993. And since Newtown, we've learned that Connecticut has an active gun culture and a long history of gun manufacturing.

Hartford Courant reporter Jon Lender writes that U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal plans to introduce a bill requiring background checks for purchases of ammunition.