New Jersey lawmakers set to vote on six gun measures post-March for Our Lives
They limit ammunition size, expand background checks and other steps.
State-level actions for new gun laws in the wake of the Parkland, Florida, mass shooting continue with New Jersey's voting on six measures today.
The New Jersey State Assembly is set to vote on bills that would curb the magazine capacity of firearms, require background checks for private gun sales and ban armor-piercing ammunition.
The vote is scheduled for this afternoon in the state Assembly, after which the measures would go before the state Senate. The measures are expected to pass both houses, which are controlled by Democrats, according to The Star-Ledger.
If approved, the bills will be sent to Gov. Phil Murphy's desk for final approval.
The newly-elected Democratic governor included tighter gun laws as part of his campaign platform last fall and released a statement supporting the new proposals Saturday, on the same day as March for Our Lives protests calling for greater gun control swept the country.
The measures up for a vote today include limiting magazine capacity to 10 rounds and addressing the definition of a "justifiable need to carry a handgun." Another measure would seize firearms when a health care professional determines a patient poses a threat to themselves or others.
Since the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland that killed 17 students and teachers, four other states have approved new gun measures and numerous others are in the process of debating or passing gun laws.
Oregon was the first, closing a so-called "boyfriend loophole" by banning people who are under a restraining order or convicted of stalking or domestic violence from buying or owning guns or ammunition.
Rhode Island established a "red flag" policy similar to one of the measures up for vote in New Jersey today that would allow authorities to take guns from individuals deemed a threat to public safety.
Florida also passed a number of gun laws, including raising the age to buy a rifle to 21 years old, mandating a three-day waiting period for purchasing firearms and dedicating funds to arming teachers in some state schools.
Washington state banned bump-stock devices, which have been a point of controversy since the deadly Las Vegas gun massacre in October.
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