An Assembly Resolution memorializing the victims of recent shooting related tragic events, and urging the United States Congress to enact certain gun control measures.

Whereas, With all due respect to the right to bear arms, afforded by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, and the decisions rendered by the United States Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008) and McDonald v. City of Chicago, 561 U.S. 3025 (2010), in recent years the United States has been witness to several tragic and preventable firearms related mass tragedies; and

Whereas, In 2007, 33 people were killed and 25 more were injured on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic University in a shooting spree committed by a student of the university; and

Whereas, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was gunned down by a lone shooter at a public meeting being held in the parking lot of a supermarket on January 8, 2011, near Tucson, Arizona. While the Congresswoman ultimately survived the head wound which left her critically injured and engaged in a lengthy recovery process, six people were killed by the shooter, including a nine year-old child, and thirteen others were injured; and

Whereas, On February 27, 2012 a high school student at Chardon High School in Chardon, Ohio allegedly shot and killed three of his fellow students with a .22 caliber handgun, and injured three others; and

Whereas, On April 2, 2012, at Oikos University in Oakland, California, a former student of the university allegedly shot and killed seven people on campus with a .45 caliber semiautomatic handgun, and injured three others, in a violent shooting rampage; and

Whereas, In light of these horrific events and other preventable gun related tragedies, it is fitting and proper for Congress to support legislation enacting sensible gun control measures; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. The Congress of the United States is respectfully memorialized to enact House Resolution 591, the Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2011, which would require that background checks be required on all gun sales during gun shows.

2. Congress is respectfully urged to support legislation which would allow State and local law enforcement agencies full access to firearm trace data compiled by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

3. Congress is respectfully requested to support legislation which would strengthen the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 to include incentives to state, local and tribal governments for the transfer of information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) regarding unlawful users or addicts of any controlled substances, or those disqualified from owning a firearm due to adjudication of mental defect, or commitment to a mental institution, for inclusion in the NICS (National Criminal Instant Background Check System) Index.

4. Congress is respectfully called on to enact Senate Bill 32, the Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act which bans the sale, transfer, or importation into the United States of large capacity ammunition feeding devices.

5. Congress is respectfully urged to support legislation which would more strictly regulate semiautomatic assault weapons and ban or require the registration of certain .50 caliber rifles, commonly known as "sniper rifles."

6. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and attested by the Clerk thereof, shall be transmitted to the presiding officers of the United States Senate and the House of Representatives, and to each member of the Congress elected from the State of New Jersey.

STATEMENT

This Assembly Resolution memorializes the victims of recent gun related tragedies, and urges the United States Congress to enact certain gun control measures.

While recognizing the right to bear arms, afforded by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, and the decisions rendered by the United States Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008) and McDonald v. City of Chicago, 561 U.S. 3025 (2010), this resolution respectfully urges Congress to enact sensible gun control measures in light of several tragic shooting related events which have occurred in recent years.

In 2007, 33 people were killed and 25 more injured by a shooting rampage at Virginia Polytechnic University. In 2011, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head at point blank range while attending a public event near Tucson, Arizona. Thirteen other people were injured, and six people were killed in the event, including a nine year-old child. In February of 2012, a high school shooting in Cardon, Ohio claimed the lives of three students and injured three others. In April of 2012, another university shooting at Oikos University in Oakland, California, left seven people dead and three people injured.

In response to these horrific events, this resolution respectfully urges Congress to:

(1) Enact House Resolution 591, the Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2011, which would require that background checks be required on all gun sales during gun shows;

(2) Support legislation which would allow State and local law enforcement agencies full access to firearm trace data compiled by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF);

(3) Support legislation which would strengthen the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 to include incentives to state, local and tribal governments for the transfer of information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of unlawful users or addicts of any controlled substances, for inclusion in the NICS Index;

(4) Enact Senate Bill 32, the Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act which bans the sale, transfer, or importation into the United States of large capacity ammunition feeding devices; and

(5) Support legislation which would more strictly regulate semiautomatic assault weapons and ban or require the registration of certain .50 caliber rifles, commonly known as "sniper rifles."