The New Jersey State Senate has given the green light to a seven-bill gun safety package.

Trenton State House
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The legislation includes measures for complete, instant background checks for all gun sales, a ban on high-powered .50 caliber weapons and a measure that's designed to stop those with mental health problems from buying firearms

"I am very proud of the package," says Steve Sweeney, President of the New Jersey State Senate. "We spent hours with both sides, with the anti-gun people and the pro-gun people, and I knew I had a good package because both sides were mad at me - neither side was satisfied that they got what they wanted,"

He points out the legislation also calls for mandatory ID cards for ammunition sales, mandatory training, and a crackdown on those who sell illegal guns.

The package does not include a measure passed by the Assembly to limit the number of bullets in a magazine clip to 10.

"The magazine clip, to be perfectly honest with, is a situation where you could modify a magazine clip in about 1 minute to make it whatever rounds you want."

He says by trying to limit the size of a magazine clip, you're really targeting people that aren't committing crimes, which doesn't make sense.

"I'm trying to make sure people with mental health issues do not get firearms," says Sweeney. "I think I'm really doing something that's significant and will make a difference at the end of the day."

The Assembly approved a 22-bill gun safety package back in February.

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