| By Scott Malone BOSTON (Reuters) - Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick introduced a new series of gun laws on Wednesday that would tighten rules on sales of weapons and ammunition, in the wake of last month's deadly school shooting in neighboring Connecticut. Patrick made the announcement a day after New York state adopted one of the toughest gun-control laws in the United States and shortly before President Barack Obama proposed a new national assault-weapons ban and strengthened background checks on prospective gun buyers. "In the wake of too many tragedies, I have filed legislation to tackle the problem of gun violence and illegal firearm possession," Patrick, a Democrat, said in a statement. He also proposed an increase in funding to the state's mental health programs aimed at reducing violence, in the wake of last month's mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, that left 28 people dead including 20 first graders. The proposed Massachusetts legislation would require gun buyers to undergo background checks even when they made purchases at gun shows, limit buyers to purchasing one gun per month and reduce access to high-powered ammunition. It would also require state courts to share relevant mental health records with state and criminal databases used to conduct background checks on potential gun buyers. Patrick did not propose changing Massachusetts' assault-weapons ban, in place since 1998, which prohibits clips that carry more than 10 rounds of ammunition. New York strengthened its ban on assault weapons and cut clip size to seven rounds. STATES LIMITED The Newtown killings prompted some Americans, including officials in California, Maryland and Delaware, to call for tighter restrictions on weapons, a move that the National Rifle Association and its supporters have strongly opposed. But some state officials - including Governor Dannel Malloy of Connecticut - said they are limited in their ability to tackle the problem of gun violence on their own. "States can't go it alone. We need leadership at the federal level," Malloy said in his official Twitter feed. Continued... |