Conn. lawmakers forming Sandy Hook group

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut legislative leaders are hoping a group of lawmakers can help guide a bipartisan package of legislation through the General Assembly to address issues related to the mass shooting at Newtown's Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, a Republican from Fairfield, said Thursday there's a "genuine interest in working together" on a multi-faceted package of bills dealing with matters such as school safety, gun laws and mental health care.

McKinney said the lawmakers would act as a clearinghouse for numerous proposals being offered and ultimately come up with a bipartisan collection of bills. He said they will keep tabs on Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's task force, which has been charged with reviewing state laws and policies in the wake of the December shooting that killed 20 students and six educators.