Hartford, Ct. – Connecticut Democratic Party Chairman Nick Balletto released the following statement:

“Governor Malloy’s inclusion in the State of the Union proves once again that Connecticut is leading the nation with common sense gun safety legislation. We are honored that the Governor is representing all the progress that Connecticut Democrats – including our legislative leaders – fight for on a daily basis, and we are proud to have him as a leader of our party. While Republicans will no doubt try to downplay the effectiveness of our gun law, the truth is that since the law was passed, gun deaths in Connecticut have declined by 40 percent. President Obama deserves enormous credit for taking action. It is unconscionable that Republicans in Congress have failed to follow the lead of our President, our Governor, and every member of our Democratic delegation and blocked even modest reforms to make our communities safer.

“I also want to commend our congressional delegation for bringing guests who embody Connecticut’s fight to end gun violence. In particular, Mark Barden – the father of a first-grader killed during the Sandy Hook massacre and the guest of Senator Murphy – is a national leader who has taken his unimaginable grief and turned it into advocacy, and New Britain Police Chief James Wardwell – the guest of Congresswoman Esty – puts activism into practice every day by protecting our streets. It is my hope their stories will inspire others to help as we work collectively to pass national legislation to keep our communities safe.”