Connecticut Has Second-Strongest U.S. Gun Laws After Newtown

SF Gate Connecticut, where an elementary- school shooting left 20 children and six educators dead last December, now has the nation’s second-strongest firearms laws, up from fourth a year ago, according to a scorecard to be released today by two gun-control groups. California, which passed 10 gun laws this year, remained atop the list as it has since 2010, the first year of the scorecard started by the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence in San Francisco. This year, for the first time, the group released the data with the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence in Washington, which has done a separate list since 2007. States where legislatures approved wide-ranging restrictions on purchases moved up in the rankings, including Maryland and New York, which are now fourth and fifth. Connecticut moved up after approving a package that expanded background checks, prohibited military-style firearms and limited magazine sizes. New Jersey slid from second to third, with Republican Governor Chris Christie’s vetoes of legislation, including a measure that would have required background checks for private firearms sales.