A vote is scheduled Thursday on the future of a bill requiring that police be notified when people seeking a gun permit ask a judge to expunge from their record information about their commitment to a psychiatric hospital.
Democrats found welcome support from three of their GOP colleagues in the state Senate last month to help them override the governor's veto of an important piece of gun-safety legislation.
Now we're about to see if their counterparts in the Assembly can muster the political will to follow suit.
A vote is scheduled Thursday on the future of a bill requiring that police be notified when people seeking a gun permit ask a judge to expunge from their record information about their commitment to a psychiatric hospital.
Judges and members of the law-enforcement community sought the legislation so judges can make better informed choices about people who say they have recovered and want their records erased from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
It's a common sense approach to public safety. But Gov. Chris Christie, who had just formally launched his candidacy for president, lost no time in rejecting it - the better to convince a skeptical right wing of his pro-gun bona fides.
To be sure, the vast majority of people grappling with mental illness are not likely to pick up a gun and start shooting.
But preventing gun deaths related to mental health issues could save up to 100,000 lives over a decade, according to Dr. Jeffrey Swanson, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University School of Medicine.
MORE: Poll asks if the N.J. Legislature should override Christie's veto
The Senate vote to override the governor's veto marked the first time since he took office in 2010 that either house of the Legislature garnered enough votes to stand up to Christie.
Democratic leaders previously fell short on 52 attempts to override the governor on such issues as reforming the Port Authority, increasing rights for victims of Superstorm Sandy, and funding women's health care.
One of the three Republicans who provided the crucial votes for the gun-measure override indicated later that he was motivated less by party concerns than by the desire to do the best thing for the people.
"My vote today to have prospective gun owners notify police if they are seeking expungement of their mental-health record speaks for itself," Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Monmouth) said. "Don't read any politics into it, just the right thing to do as I see it."
The state Constitution requires lawmakers to win support of two-thirds of each house of the Legislature in order to override a gubernatorial veto.
That translates to 27 votes in the Senate and 54 in the Assembly.
Although Democrats hold a 48-32 margin in the Assembly, they'll need six votes from Republicans to get this thing done - assuming their caucus votes with one voice.
New Jersey, which for so long led the country in gun-safety laws, is more than ready for its lawmakers to do the right thing.