The Garden State is not where most seek positive developments regarding our right to arms, so we were pleasantly surprised when Englishtown, N.J., recently made a move to support the Second Amendment. On June 11, the Englishtown Borough Council voted to refund the $150 local gun permit fee charged to those who wish to obtain a permit to carry a handgun.
While this is the first town in New Jersey to eliminate what amounts to a tax on the Second Amendment, there are rumblings that it will not be the last.
This ridiculous fee stems from New Jersy’s response to the ruling in NYSRPA v Bruen, when the United States Supreme Court recognized that citizens have a right to carry firearms for self-defense. The state, when it realized it could no longer arbitrarily deny issuing carry permits, decided to make them prohibitively expensive. That scheme included making the cost $200, with $150 going to the municipality that issues the permit.
The previous cost of these permits was $20.
But Englishtown seems to have decided that it was more important to recognize the right to arms, rather than take part in a scheme to fleece citizens of their money that was clearly designed to deter interest in being able to lawfully provide for a constitutionally-protected, often life-saving self-defense option.
Englishtown Mayor Daniel Francisco, who introduced the proposal, noted, “In my capacity as mayor, it’s my job to protect my residents, including from the abuse of the state. I introduced this proposal and lobbied my council to support it because no natural right should be held hostage to a paywall.”
Joe LoPorto, director of the New Jersey Firearm Owners Syndicate (NJFOS), spoke in support of resolution, and told NJ.com, “Our end goal here was obviously to help get this resolution passed in Englishtown, but we want to introduce this in as many jurisdictions and municipalities around the state as we can.”
To that end, LoPorto noted, “There are towns in Atlantic, Gloucester, Sussex, and Hunterdon counties that are, right now, considering this resolution,” adding. “We are working to circulate it through both a grassroots campaign and direct lobbying.”
NRA is greatly encouraged by what is going on in New Jersey, in spite of the state’s history of animosity towards the rights of law-abiding gun owners.
“Anti-gun politicians in New Jersey are trying to tax away our constitutional rights, and Englishtown made a powerful statement pushing back,” said NRA-ILA State Director Darin Goens. “I would echo the sentiments of Mr. Loporto, and we hope this is just the beginning as communities stand up one by one in defense of the Second Amendment in New Jersey.”
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