State Legislators Look to Quickly Pass New Gun Control Legislation

A coalition of nearly 100 state legislators called for prompt passage of a specific, comprehensive state plan to reduce the firepower available to criminals and stop many preventable acts of gun violence.

The call for broad new legislation comes in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn., and the murders of first responders arriving at the scene of a fire set by a heavily armed man in Webster, NY, as well as ongoing gun violence throughout New York State.

The plan includes such measures as:

• Requiring universal background checks, for criminality and mental health issues, on all gun sales.
• Strengthening the state’s assault weapons ban, making it similar to the existing ban in New York City.
• Banning high-capacity ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.
• Requiring semi-automatic pistols to be equipped with microstamping, to help solve gun crime and requiring gun licenses to be renewed every 5 years.