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Showing posts from May, 2022

Election day outlook for school bond, local races

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A strong turnout — and that seems likely — may bode well for the $89 million school bond. The JFK bond provides some insights. In 2017, the JFK bond failed during a municipal election. The town reduced the project cost, and it returned to the ballot in the 2018 election. But 2018 was a gubernatorial race, with a much stronger turnout. The turnout in the 2017 race was less than half of the 2018 overall election turnout. The rest of the ticket: Without local polling, it’s hard to predict how any local race will turn out. But comparing the races to 2024 does provide some insights. — State Sen. John Kissel won 54% of the vote in 2024. He won in every town but Windsor. He is facing Democrat challenger Davide Kiner. For what it is worth, in my Southwood Acres neighborhood, Kiner signs are abundant. But even if Kiner wins Enfield, the problem will be in more Republican leaning towns that make up this district. Somers, for instance, has 2,100 registered Republicans, 1,218 registered Democrats...
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Ban gun purchases for people under 21

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Ban gun purchases for people under 21 is something Congress should act on. That's one big step since teens are responsible for a disproportionate share of school shootings. Until then, any 18 year who buys an AR-15 and a load of ammunition ought to be an automatic red flag. Unfortunately, the median age of school shooters is 16. That might make a case for requiring gun owners to store their weapons securely. The U.S. Secret Service studied school shootings and what it found in 25 attacks that involved firearms: "Nineteen attackers (76%) acquired a firearm from the home of a parent or another close relative. In half of the firearms cases (n = 12, 48%), evidence indicates the firearm was either readily accessible, or it was not secured in a meaningful way." You combine immature and mentally ill kids who have easy access to firearms, and you have a problem. Requiring secure storage, and raising the purchase age, might help. Responsible gun owners already secure their weapon...
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