New York could soon have some of the strictest gun control laws in the country.
On Jan. 14, the state Senate approved the New York SAFE Act, 43-18. The bill expands the state”™s assault weapons ban, limits the size of ammunition magazines and makes it harder for the mentally ill to own firearms. The bill also imposes tougher penalties on gun-related crimes.
The vote came a month after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn. The Assembly is expected to vote on the legislation today.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo had made stricter gun laws a top agenda in his State of the State address earlier this month.
“The Senators that voted for the NY SAFE Act of 2013 made a bold statement, coming together in a bipartisan, collaborative manner to meet the challenges that face our state and our nation,” Cuomo said in a statement. “We have seen far too many senseless acts of gun violence.”
