Connecticut Legislative Gun Panel Gets Final Briefing

A legislative subcommittee reviewing Connecticut gun laws is receiving some final expert testimony before the lawmakers begin devising recommendations for possible changes to the laws in light of the Newtown school shooting. The gun violence prevention subcommittee faces a Feb. 15 deadline to forward its ideas to legislative leaders, who hope the full General Assembly can vote on a package of reforms at month's end. Subcommittee members on Monday asked final questions of gun manufacturers, state and local police officials and municipal leaders about myriad issues. They included the ramifications of limiting the size of ammunition magazines, the thoroughness of background checks and current rules for obtaining gun permits. Two other subcommittees are reviewing laws and policies surrounding mental health and school security.

Education Secretary And College Chiefs Urge Gun Laws

The nation's schools chief says more needs to be done to make sure children live long enough to attend college. He is joining more than 350 university presidents in urging Congress to take action to protect students from gun violence. Education Secretary Arne (AR'-nee) Duncan told reporters Monday that guns have no place in schools or on college campuses, other than in the hands of law enforcement. Standing with members of College Presidents for Gun Safety, Duncan also said pressure from outside Washington is needed to force Congress to act on proposals to reduce gun violence. In the wake of the Newtown, Conn., school shooting that killed 20 students, lawmakers have considered new measures including expanded background checks for gun buyers and a ban on some types of weapons.

Newtown Parents Help Others Dealing With Autism

The parents of an autistic girl who was killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., have set up a memorial fund to benefit other families raising children with autism. The family of 7-year-old Josephine Gay says her personal aide wrapped her arms body around her and other children to shield them from the horror of a rampaging gunman on Dec. 14. Bob and Michele Gay said in an interview that their daughter's aides had shown extreme devotion before the tragedy, but the family was constantly searching for resources to keep up the level of care and therapy they wanted for their daughter.

"Joey's Fund" is being administered by the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism. It has collected more than $80,000 from nearly 1,000 donors.

Newtown To Distribute Gifts Town Has Received

Newtown officials have decided to hold a "Community Giveaway" to distribute the thousands of gifts sent to the town following December's massacre at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. In a news release Monday, town officials said the goal will be to give the toys, school supplies and other items to town residents, "as was intended by their donors." The town held a similar toy giveaway just before Christmas for Newtown's children. It has also given some toys to local children's hospitals. The remaining gifts have been stored in a local warehouse. The giveaway will be held on Feb. 24 at the Reed Intermediate School. Families with students at Sandy Hook Elementary School will be allowed in at noon. The giveaway will be open to all town residents at 3 p.m.

Director Plans Movie Related To Newtown Shooting

A director says he's traveling to Connecticut to prepare for a TV movie related to the Newtown school shooting. Jonathan Bucari told News 12 Connecticut he planned to visit Ridgefield on Monday. Ridgefield is 20 miles southwest of Newtown, where a gunman fatally shot 20 first-graders, six educators and himself in December. WVIT-TV reports Bucari's film company says the film focuses on a 13-year-old boy with mental illness and a fear of his parents after the shooting. Bucari says he picked Ridgefield because it looks like Newtown and he didn't want to upset Newtown residents so soon after the killings. Ridgefield schools superintendent Deborah Low says the timing is "poor." Bucari's Internet Movie Database page lists one completed directorial project, a TV pilot called "The Sacrificial Lamb." He has no listed telephone number and hasn't responded to online messages.

Connecticut Lawmaker Proposes Bill Increase Speed Limit

There may be some relief coming for drivers who can't keep below the 65 mph speed limit. Democratic Rep. Minnie Gonzalez of Hartford on Monday called for increasing Connecticut's maximum speed limit on state highways to 75 mph, saying the current limit is "a joke" and is being ignored. She told members of the General Assembly's Transportation Committee that statistics she has found show the number of accidents decrease with the higher speed limit. But some committee members raised safety concerns and said those statistics might apply to larger, less populated states like North Dakota. In 1998, Connecticut became the last state in the continental U.S. to increase the maximum speed limit from 55 mph to 65 mph. Gonzalez also wants to increase fines for speeding violations by 15 percent.

US Supreme Court Nixes Nursing Home Bid On Strikers

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has denied a request by a New Jersey nursing home company which asked her to allow it to delay reinstating striking Connecticut workers. HealthBridge Management argued Monday that a federal court's recent decision to strike down three of President Barack Obama appointees to the National Labor Relations Board calls the board's decisions into question. In December, a federal judge approved an injunction requested by the board ordering the Parsippany, N.J.-based company to reinstate 600 striking workers at five nursing homes. A federal appeals court last week rejected HealthBridge's request to delay that order. District 1199 of the New England Health Care Employees Union said it's pleased with Ginsburg's decision. HealthBridge said Monday it would renew its application for a stay and direct it at Justice Antonin Scalia.

Governor To Create Early Childhood Office

Governor  Malloy says his package of legislative proposals includes a new state agency to oversee early childhood initiatives. The proposal, announced Monday, calls for combining various programs previously housed in five separate state agencies. Seventy-one staff will move to a new office and four new positions will be created. The new Office of Early Childhood Planning will require $370,000 in fiscal year 2014. Funding will be included in the governor's new, two-year budget, to be released Wednesday. Malloy said "a comprehensive approach for the delivery of services to children and their parents" complements the education reforms already under way. Last year, lawmakers approved $9.8 million in early childhood initiatives, created 1,000 new spots for students in preschool programs and spent $3 million on a tiered quality rating and improvement system.

Photos Of Rape Of West Haven Teen Were Posted Online

West Haven police say two men sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl and posted photos of the acts online. Police have arrested 25-year-old James Conners of West Haven and are waiting for a judge to sign an arrest warrant for a 19-year-old man in connection with the alleged rape at the men's apartment on Jan. 14. The New Haven Register reports an arrest warrant affidavit for Conners says the two men gave marijuana and alcohol to the girl and her friend and then forced the 14-year-old to engage in sex acts with them. Police say the girls skipped school before meeting up with the men. Connors is charged with second-degree assault, risk of injury to a minor and promoting an obscene performance of a minor.

Amazon Will Collect Connecticut Sales Tax

Connecticut officials say Amazon has agreed to collect Connecticut's sales tax, ending a dispute over the tax that the online retailer had refused to charge its customers. Governor  Malloy said Monday that Amazon also promised to spend $50 million to build a facility at an unspecified site and create hundreds of jobs. Under federal law, out-of-state retailers may not be required to collect tax on sales in Connecticut. Consumers must pay state use tax or face penalties. Amazon will begin collecting the 6.35 percent tax on Nov. 1 and hand the money over to the state. Amazon previously insisted it is not obligated to abide by the state's Internet tax law because it does not have a physical presence in Connecticut.

Arnone To Retire As Connecticut Correction Commissioner

State Correction Department Commissioner Leo Arnone  says he will retire in April after 39 years of service in state government. Governor  Malloy announced Monday that he received notice from Arnone about his intent to retire April 1. The governor says a nationwide search for Arnone's successor will begin in the coming weeks. Arnone wrote in his letter to Malloy that he wanted to spend more time with his family after working long hours including weekends and being on call 24 hours a day. Arnone began working as a correctional officer in 1974 and rose through the ranks to become captain and later warden of the Hartford Correctional Center. He was appointed correction commissioner in 2010 by then-Gov. M. Jodi Rell and reappointed by Malloy last year.