02/25/2014
Two parents of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre spoke at the State House on Monday in favor of a bill that would reduce the capacity of gun magazines to 10 rounds from 15.
Nicole Hockley whose son, Dylan, was killed in the 2012 massacre, and Mark Barden, whose son, Daniel, was also murdered in Newtown, said limits on magazine capacity could provide just enough time to save lives.
“In two or three seconds, 10 kids can run out of a classroom,” said Barden, referring to the time it takes for a shooter to reload.
Barden and Hockley lead Sandy Hook Promise, which advocates for the prevention of gun violence.
The proposed limits on gun magazines would add restrictions in a state that is already known for tough gun laws. New Jersey, for example, allows individuals to carry handguns in public only in limited circumstances.
“It is my sincere wish that no other parent has to experience this heartache,” Hockley said.
Some children were able to escape the school during the time it took for the shooter at Sandy Hook to reload, she said.
“This is a sensible step to take and it does not infringe on anyone’s constitutional rights,” she said.
Monday’s news conference with the Sandy Hook parents was emotional for several lawmakers who attended, including Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester. Sweeney fought back tears as he offered his support for the tighter limit on magazine capacity.
“I’m proud to be standing here today supporting this,” he said.
Sweeney, who last year did not commit to the tighter restriction while up for reelection, said speaking with the parents of Sandy victims changed his mind.
“I’m still pro-Second Amendment, I believe in the Constitution,” Sweeney said. “But I also believe things happen in life and you can’t ignore them.”
He added, “How do you look at the parents and say, ‘It doesn’t matter’?”
The push for new gun control laws in the wake of the Newtown shooting failed on the federal level last year. For advocates of more regulation, success has been scarce.
Though the New Jersey bill seems likely to clear both houses of the Democratic-controlled Legislature, it’s unclear whether Governor Christie, a Republican, will reject it with a veto, something he did with several bills aimed at reducing gun violence that were sent to his desk last year.
There has also been talk in Trenton that the bill might be paired with a second piece of legislation, one that would rewrite restrictions on transporting some firearms, according to a recent NJ.com report.
Frank Jack Fiamingo, president of the New Jersey Second Amendment Society, said a law reducing magazine size limits would not necessarily prevent violence and would be a burden on law-abiding gun owners — not criminals.
A companion bill to loosen restrictions on transporting firearms would not be a sufficient tradeoff for reducing the capacity of magazines, Fiamingo said.
“If they think that is a trade, we don’t care,” Fiamingo said. “Let them keep the damn bill.”
He added that he does believe in some restrictions on gun ownership — someone should be able to properly use a weapon to carry it in public, for example — but said limits on magazines for use in someone’s own home was too much.
The massacre at Sandy Hook was horrible, he said, adding he appreciates the right of the parents to speak out. But Fiamingo then accused Democrats of exploiting Hockley and Barden.
Democratic legislators “are importing people from Connecticut who have experienced this tragedy and they are exploiting them for their own agenda, which is to control people’s right to keep and bear arms,” Fiamingo said.
Hockley and Barden dismissed such a notion. Barden, who is advocacy director for Sandy Hook Promise, said that as a leader in the group, he could decide to champion whatever issue or bill he wanted.
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Nicole Hockley whose son, Dylan, was killed in the 2012 massacre, and Mark Barden, whose son, Daniel, was also murdered in Newtown, said limits on magazine capacity could provide just enough time to save lives.
“In two or three seconds, 10 kids can run out of a classroom,” said Barden, referring to the time it takes for a shooter to reload.
Barden and Hockley lead Sandy Hook Promise, which advocates for the prevention of gun violence.
The proposed limits on gun magazines would add restrictions in a state that is already known for tough gun laws. New Jersey, for example, allows individuals to carry handguns in public only in limited circumstances.
“It is my sincere wish that no other parent has to experience this heartache,” Hockley said.
Some children were able to escape the school during the time it took for the shooter at Sandy Hook to reload, she said.
“This is a sensible step to take and it does not infringe on anyone’s constitutional rights,” she said.
Monday’s news conference with the Sandy Hook parents was emotional for several lawmakers who attended, including Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester. Sweeney fought back tears as he offered his support for the tighter limit on magazine capacity.
“I’m proud to be standing here today supporting this,” he said.
Sweeney, who last year did not commit to the tighter restriction while up for reelection, said speaking with the parents of Sandy victims changed his mind.
“I’m still pro-Second Amendment, I believe in the Constitution,” Sweeney said. “But I also believe things happen in life and you can’t ignore them.”
He added, “How do you look at the parents and say, ‘It doesn’t matter’?”
The push for new gun control laws in the wake of the Newtown shooting failed on the federal level last year. For advocates of more regulation, success has been scarce.
Though the New Jersey bill seems likely to clear both houses of the Democratic-controlled Legislature, it’s unclear whether Governor Christie, a Republican, will reject it with a veto, something he did with several bills aimed at reducing gun violence that were sent to his desk last year.
There has also been talk in Trenton that the bill might be paired with a second piece of legislation, one that would rewrite restrictions on transporting some firearms, according to a recent NJ.com report.
Frank Jack Fiamingo, president of the New Jersey Second Amendment Society, said a law reducing magazine size limits would not necessarily prevent violence and would be a burden on law-abiding gun owners — not criminals.
A companion bill to loosen restrictions on transporting firearms would not be a sufficient tradeoff for reducing the capacity of magazines, Fiamingo said.
“If they think that is a trade, we don’t care,” Fiamingo said. “Let them keep the damn bill.”
He added that he does believe in some restrictions on gun ownership — someone should be able to properly use a weapon to carry it in public, for example — but said limits on magazines for use in someone’s own home was too much.
The massacre at Sandy Hook was horrible, he said, adding he appreciates the right of the parents to speak out. But Fiamingo then accused Democrats of exploiting Hockley and Barden.
Democratic legislators “are importing people from Connecticut who have experienced this tragedy and they are exploiting them for their own agenda, which is to control people’s right to keep and bear arms,” Fiamingo said.
Hockley and Barden dismissed such a notion. Barden, who is advocacy director for Sandy Hook Promise, said that as a leader in the group, he could decide to champion whatever issue or bill he wanted.
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