New Jersey: Senate Committee Action Monday Includes Magazine Restriction

Next week, the gun control fight in Trenton moves to the Senate, and NRA members need to make their voice heard loudly.  A package of seven bills are scheduled to be heard in the Senate Law and Public Safety committee on Monday, April 16 at 10:30 a.m.  Six of these bills were passed in the Assembly on March 26.  When these bills were adopted in an Assembly Committee, gun owners made a strong showing of opposition, and it is essential that happens again.  Anti-gun groups will be out in force, and their gun-banning agenda cannot go unanswered.  Please plan to attend!

The bills on the agenda include:

• S.102 by Sen. Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D) is a magazine and gun ban.  This legislation would ban magazines with a capacity greater than 10.  We all know magazine bans do nothing except punish law-abiding gun owners because criminals by definition ignore laws.  This bill would put honest citizens in jeopardy during violent criminal attacks and would subject them to prosecution for possessing what is currently legal property.  This bill would turn the majority of New Jersey’s 1 million gun owners into felons overnight. 
  
• S.2259 by Sen. Richard Codey (D) creates extreme risk protection orders whereby firearms can be seized and constitutional rights suspended with little to no due process.  The bill fails to penalize those who fabricate accusations, and it does nothing to improve public safety. 
  
• S.160 by Sen. Vin Gopal (D) would allow for suspension of gun rights by unaccountable “health professionals.”  This bill goes so far as to allow marriage counselors, social workers and nurses to cause suspension of yourlegal rights.
  
• S.2376 by Sen. Linda Greenstein (D) codifies New Jersey’s “justifiable need” standard for the issuance of concealed carry permits.  The bill is a striking blow to the basic fundamental right to self-defense outside the home.  It creates a standard so onerous that nobody can meet it, hence the issuance of permits in New Jersey is close to non-existent.   
  
• S.2245 by Sen. Fred Madden, Jr. (D) bans handgun ammunition which is already banned under federal law.  This bill does nothing to improve public safety and is a classic example of the asinine nature of New Jersey gun laws as a whole.  This is nothing more than political pandering to gun banners.  
  
• S.2374 by Sen. Linda Greenstein (D) would require background checks on all firearm transfers.  Again, this is redundant because all transactions in New Jersey require a background check.  The private transfer of long guns requires an FID card and the issuance of that card requires fingerprinting, a background check and references, among other things.  This bill does nothing except add another layer of bureaucracy and fees to an already cumbersome and duplicative process. 

Finally, there is a bill on the agenda which has not been introduced and for which no text has been made available.  The title of the bill says it would criminalizes purchase of components to unlawfully manufacture untraceable firearms.

The hearing will take place on Monday, April 16 at 10:30 a.m., in Room 4 of the Statehouse Annex, which is one of the larger rooms.  That is a clear indication that leadership expects a large turnout.  Anti-gun groups will be out in full-force.  It’s important that gun owners continue to call, email and attend hearings.  Please contact your state Senator and let them know you oppose these gun bills.  Please notice that there is not one bill on this agenda that addresses true school safety and that is disgraceful.

There are several reasons why this communication is critical.  Silence will telegraph that they can pass even more onerous bills.  After a large turnout by gun owners on the Assembly side, the Legislature was forced to amend several bills and hold others.  Please plan to attend the hearing and contact your lawmakers!