July 9, 2014: 

New Jersey Governor Christie vetoes bill aimed at reducing magazine capacity

Last week, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie vetoed Assembly Bill 2006, which sought to reduce New Jersey’s existing magazine capacity of firearms from fifteen to ten rounds. The Bill was sponsored by Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald (D), who urged that the reduction would force gunmen to reload more often. In his veto message, Governor Christie remarked that a ten round limit is just as arbitrary as a fifteen round limit, and that imposing the bill would not eradicate, or even reduce, future instances of mass violence. The proposed Bill carved out an exemption for firearms with .22 caliber tubular magazines. Assembly Bill 2006 can be found here.

Louisiana Supreme Court disallows felons from possessing firearms

The Louisiana Supreme Court recently upheld R.S. 14:95.1, a state law that disallows convicted felons from possessing firearms. The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision, written by Justice Jeff Hughes, interpreted a 2012 amendment to Article I, Section II of the Louisiana Constitution. The purpose of the amendment was to strengthen and protect from government intrusion the right of Louisiana citizens to keep and bear arms by analyzing laws restricting the right to bear arms under a ‘strict-scrutiny’ test. Justice Hughes asserted that proscribing the possession of firearms by convicted felons is not affected by the amendment and withstands a strict scrutiny analysis. Justice Hughes’ opinion can be found here.