Senate Panel Approves Two Gun Measures [View all]

[SecularMotion]

Source: NY Times

WASHINGTON — The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday passed two measures designed to curb gun violence, and the bills are now headed to the Senate floor for a full vote. The committee postponed a vote on the most contentious measure — a proposed reinstatement of the assault weapons ban — because its sponsor, Senator Dianne Feinstein of California was not present at the committee’s meeting.

The first measure, which would expand background checks to private gun sales, passed the committee 10 to 8, with no Republican on the committee voting for its passage. Another bill, offered by Senator Barbara Boxer of California, enjoyed more bipartisan support.

That measure renewed a grant program to help schools improve their security procedures though for a 10-year period, and increased the financing to $40 million per year from $30 million. It creates a Department of Justice and Department of Education task force to develop advisory school safety guidelines. It passed 14 to 4; the nays were all Republicans.

The committee approved a measure last week that would make the practice of illegally buying a gun for someone else — known as a straw purchase — a felony, and increase penalties for the crime. The vote was significant because it attracted the support of one Republican — Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, the most senior Republican on the committee — signaling that the measure may well succeed in the full Senate later this spring.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/13/us/politics/senate-panel-likely-to-vote-on-gun-measure.html?hp&_r=0