State Senate approves gun control measures

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.”