22News is in Washington, DC for Mayors' conference

WASHINGTON (WWLP) - 22News is working for you at our nation’s capitol this Thursday, where mayors from across the country, including some from right here in western Massachusetts, are meeting to discuss important city issues.

Among the key topics being discussed at this year’s U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting is gun violence; a subject that has been put in the national spotlight following the mass shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Vice President Joe Biden, who helped put together a list of gun control recommendations advanced by President Obama on Wednesday, will be meeting with the mayors at the conference.

Local attendees include Chicopee Mayor Michael Bissonnette and Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse. Congressman Jim McGovern (D-Worcester), who now represents eastern Hampshire and Franklin Counties, is among the speakers at the conference.

McGovern told 22News that the conference isn't just about having mayors hear from national leaders; national politicians can also learn from what has worked on a local level.

“They (mayors) represent cities that have real problems, and they’ve come up with some real solutions. Some of the things that they have done that have been successful, I think it’s important for them to tell us here in Washington, so we can replicate that,” McGovern said.

“They have some good ideas, good wisdom, and I think it’s important for them to listen to us, and it’s important for us to react to what they say.”

22News Investigative Reporter Laura Hutchinson is in Washington, D.C., and will have reports from the conference on WWLP.com and on 22News Starting at 5.