For seven years, the Assembly has passed a gun storage bill, but it has always died in the state Senate.

Assembly Democrats are expected to pass the measure again shortly. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) said it makes sense to "give people liability if they fail to protect children."

Asked about the legislation later, state Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno (R-Rensselaer) said Democrats were using the issue to distract the public from the late state budget, which he said was "the most important thing right now going on in the lives of the people in this state."