© 2024 WBGO
Discover Jazz...Anywhere, Anytime, on Any Device.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

NJ Senate Passes Bill To Correct Gun Law Oversight

Senator Loretta Weinberg

New Jersey's Senate unanimously passed a measure to correct an oversight in a gun law Governor Murphy signed last month.

That law limits the ammunition capacity in gun magazines to ten rounds.

But most guns used by police have 12-to-17 round magazines.

Senator Loretta Weinberg says the bill approved by the Senate clarifies that police officers can carry their service weapons with up to 17 rounds of ammo when they’re off duty.

“Some people thought when the original bills were put together that somehow not mentioning police officers would automatically mean that they were appropriately covered. But the Attorney General’s office felt we needed clarification, and that’s what we’re doing.”  

Weinberg says that ensures police will be able to protect themselves and the community with the weapons they were issued before the ten round limit was enacted.

“We want police to be able to continue with the responsibilities they had before this bill became law, to be able to carry their weapons off duty because they are always law enforcement officers on or off duty.”