Politics

The Connecticut General Assembly’s annual session is ending Wednesday as it began, with a focus on the grieving families of Newtown, who pleaded for legislation that might give solace. And once again, lawmakers found it impossible to deny them.

In the first hours of the final day of the 2013 session, the Senate and House quickly voted to close public access to police photographs of the carnage at Sandy Hook Elementary School and, at least temporarily, an audio account made by police as they stepped among the 20 dead children and six educators.

Under legislation approved early Tuesday on a partisan vote in the Senate, state parties would be able to make unlimited expenditures on Connecticut legislative races next year, weakening a campaign finance reform passed in 2005.

The Senate voted 21-14 for final passage of legislation intended to tighten disclosure rules on independent expenditures, while expanding the role of the parties in legislative races. The House passed the bill Saturday, 71-59. 

The General Assembly approved a measure Monday making several technical changes to the gun control statute enacted this April in response to December’s fatal shooting at a Newtown elementary school.

While they enacted a statute two months ago that imposes numerous new restrictions on firearm purchases, tightens school security and expands insurance coverage for mental health, lawmakers have since discovered numerous problems with that measure.

The House and Senate adopted a series of technical changes Monday with broad bipartisan support.

The changes: