In the aftermath of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy are calling for tougher federal gun control laws.
"The horrific shooting at a school in Florida once again has this nation asking how Congress can in good conscience continue to turn a blind eye to the dangers of gun violence," Cuomo said.
The governor said that in the aftermath of the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut that left 26 people dead, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in New York decided that "inaction was not an option." The state passed the SAFE Act, which includes a ban on the AR-15 assault weapon that was used in Parkland to kill 17 people.
"It's time this nation followed New York's lead and passed smart gun safety legislation that keeps guns away from those who will use them for evil. Too many children have died because of Washington's failure to act," Cuomo said.
Governor Murphy said he was "staggered" by the school shooting in Parkland. He offered his thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families, but said more is needed.
"The words are not enough. The expressions of sympathy are not enough. We must act, and I'm just fearful that we're going to have a redo of Newtown, Connecticut - Sandy Hook Elementary School - 26 people lost their lives," Murphy said.
He said despite school shootings in places like Newtown, there has been "inaction by Congress." He blamed the gun lobby, which he said separates the will of the people from the actions of Congress.
Earlier this week, Murphy held a meeting to discuss gun violence prevention strategies. He signaled his support for several proposals, including one that would reduce magazine capacity to 10 rounds. Another measure would require a background check on private gun sales.
Connecticut strengthened its gun laws after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. Among the 26 people killed in that shooting were 20 young children.
"Surely we can all agree that our classrooms should be places of learning where kids don’t have to worry about the threat of unspeakable violence. I once again implore Congress to do something to reduce the epidemic of gun violence in this country. Enough is enough,” Malloy said.
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