N.J. Assembly, Senate gun measures at odds on high-capacity clips

Measures introduced in the New Jersey Senate to strengthen the state’s gun control laws differ from the bills the Assembly passed in February.

That ‘s putting the future of any of the legislation in doubt.

Unlike the Assembly measures, Senate President Steve Sweeney says the Senate bills do not call for reducing the maximum capacity of gun magazines to 10 bullets.

“The president of the United States said Colorado is a national model. Colorado has 15 rounds. Federally, where they couldn’t get gun laws approved, it was 15 rounds that they were trying to do,” said Sweeney, D-Gloucester.

Lower limits on gun magazines are needed, said Bryan Miller, executive director of the gun violence prevention organization Heeding God’s Call.

“We know that there have been many occasions where people intent on mass mayhem have been stopped at the point where they have to change their magazine,” Miller said Friday.

The Assembly won’t agree on legislation that does not include a ban on high capacity clips, vowed Majority Leader Lou Greenwald, D-Camden.

Legislative leaders are holding out hope they will be able to reach some sort of compromise.