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1993-03-05
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02/25/1993 By HERB JACKSON Associated Press Writer
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- The state Assembly voted Thursday after
only 10 minutes of debate to override Gov. Jim Florio's veto of a
bill to weaken the state's ban on semiautomatic weapons.
New Jersey's ban is considered the nation's toughest.
The override measure now goes to the Senate, which has its next
voting session March 15.
The 54-23 override vote was the minimum needed and all supporting
votes came from Republicans. Democrats either abstained or voted
against the override.
Elsewhere, the Virginia House of Delegates accepted a compromise
Thursday on its bill to limit handgun purchases, giving those
wanting to buy more than one gun a month an option. That state has
gotten a reputation as a supermarket for East Coast gunrunners.
The Virginia Senate agreed Thursday to a change proposed by the
House to exempt private sales from the bill, then decided later to
reconsider its vote. Senators delayed action on the new vote. Gov.
L. Douglas Wilder has said he wouldn't sign a bill that would exempt
private sales.
The New Jersey vote came after a private half-hour GOP caucus and
the only lawmaker who spoke on the issue was Assembly Democratic
leader Joseph Doria, who opposed the override.
In 1990, New Jersey banned the sale or possession of
semiautomatic firearms capable of holding more than 15 rounds. The
law required all semiautomatic rifles or shotguns not registered for
target shooting to be sold, disabled or surrendered by May 1991.
Recent state reports said only about 2,000 guns were turned in.
The National Rifle Association and other pro-gun groups argued
the law punished law-abiding gun owners by confiscating their
property without compensation. The NRA contributed $269,250 to
legislative candidates in 1991, when Republicans won veto-proof
majorities pledged to repeal the ban.
"We're happy and gratified that this step has been dealt with,"
said NRA lobbyist Richard Manning. "We've got 300,000 people who are
stuck as felons because they possess these guns. They're honest
people."
"This vote is a very disturbing answer to the question of who
owns New Jersey," Florio said. "The answer for the Assembly is the
gun lobby in general and the NRA in particular."
Florio said he was "outraged at this sneak attack on sanity."
Both houses of the Legislature voted last year to repeal the ban
for all affected weapons except Uzis and AK-47s.
Florio vetoed the repeal in September, accusing Republicans of
acting against the public will.