By Chief Political Correspondent Michael Aron
NJ Today
The centerpiece of the Senate package is a bill sponsored by Senate President Steve Sweeney and nine other Democrats that would replace the current firearms purchase ID card with a data-embedded driver’s license or other electronic photo ID, require gun shop owners to conduct an instant criminal background check, mandate successful completion of a firearms safety training class for future gun purchasers and upgrade the penalty for allowing a minor access to a loaded firearm from a disorderly persons offense to a fourth degree crime.
The bill passed 23-17 along party lines.
Sweeney called it a national model for gun control.
“Well, because it incorporates a lot of things that needed to be done — instant background checks for every firearms purchase, mental health aspects being checked. Right now, that wasn’t part of your background check, it was a criminal background check. Now you’re going to have a photo ID, a criminal background check and a mental health aspect check which is really one of the really serious issues going on right now, and gun training,” Sweeney said.
Republicans supported some measures, like denying firearms to persons on the no-fly watch list, prohibiting state pension investments in companies that make assault weapons and lengthening the statute of limitations on illegal gun purchases.
But they voted against Sweeney’s bill.
“The bill is gonna take years and years to implement using technology that doesn’t exist yet, if at all, and it was going to cost taxpayers of New Jersey millions of dollars and it doesn’t do anything to upgrade the background checks,” said Sen. Tom Kean, Republican leader.
The Senate was to vote on this bill two and half weeks ago, but Kean refused to give the procedural go-ahead needed, infuriating Sweeney, who then put a moratorium on all Republican-sponsored legislation for the foreseeable future.
“I think it’s been very clear the Senate President is abusing his office and I think that abuse has implications for the citizens throughout the state of New Jersey,” Kean said.
Sweeney says their feud made no real difference today.
“We knew they were against the gun bills regardless. They voted against it in committee when we weren’t arguing. When we weren’t arguing they voted against it,” Sweeney said.
Some of the bills go from here to the Assembly, some to the governor.