Oak Creek mayor headed to Washington for gun control announcement

OAK CREEK (WITI) -- President Barack Obama is expected to announce on Wednesday, January 16th his plans to deal with gun control. Oak Creek Mayor Steve Scaffidi is one of those who plan to be in attendance for the announcement.

Mayor Scaffidi has given his input on the issue of gun control to Vice President Joe Biden as part of a promise he made about five months ago to his own community.

Mayor Scaffidi made this promise after his community was terrorized by violence back in August. Six were killed when gunman Wade Michael Page opened fire at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek.

"I made that commitment to the Sikh community in particular that we would not let this go," Mayor Scaffidi said.

In December, Mayor Scaffidi held a conference call with Vice President Biden. About 12 mayors took part in the call -- many from communities like his who have seen mass shootings.

Mayor Scaffidi says the solution cannot just involve guns.

"Guns is a part of it, how people use them, how people store them, how they monitor the guns they have. But it's about mental health, education in our schools. It's about bullying. Those all impact this discussion," Mayor Scaffidi said.

President Obama says he is considering executive orders as a way to make changes on his own. Mayor Scaffidi said he hopes the president does not go that route.

"I'd like to see Congress work it out -- that's where the rubber meets the road. I think citizens will feel more confident if it's not one person decreeing that we do this," Mayor Scaffidi said.

Mayor Scaffidi says he hopes to see Washington lawmakers put partisan politics aside and work together on real change that will keep communities from Oak Creek, Wisconsin to Newtown, Connecticut safe.

"If we were electing people to just go to Washington or the state Legislature to do nothing, we really wouldn't have to have elections, but if you want people to actually do things, they have to talk to each other," Mayor Scaffidi said.