The shameless plotting of gun control advocates in Trenton was caught on tape last week when a live microphone in the Senate Budget Committee was left on. Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg was part of a conversation discussing gun confiscation. This recording has been posted on YouTube and has garnered national attention. Undaunted by the negative public reaction, New Jersey Senators continued to push forward with their anti-Second Amendment agenda.
The state Senate approved several gun control measures on Monday, May 13, and the New Jersey Assembly has placed them on their calendar for consideration this Monday, May 20 at 1:00 pm. The Assembly floor agenda is subject to change. The remaining bills passed in the Senate on May 13 may require action in Assembly committees before they can be taken up on the Assembly floor. As of today, the Assembly is currently scheduled to consider the following bills, among others:
Assembly Bill 3797 – Sponsored by Assemblyman Charles Mainor (D-31), this bill would require the New Jersey State Police to disclose confidential BATFE trace data in violation of federal law.
Assembly Bill 3796 – Also sponsored by Assemblyman Mainor, this bill reopens the “assault firearms” compliance window for only 180 days so people can dispose of certain firearms. This bill fails to allow for compliance for any prohibited magazines and ammunition.
Assembly Bill 3717 – Sponsored by Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt (D-6) would require submission of mental health records to NICS – without stated or expressed requirement of due process.
Several other bills were delayed in the Senate for “technical” reasons and are likely to be considered when the Senate reconvenes for its next voting session, scheduled for May 30. Among others, the following bills are expected to be heard:
Senate Bill 2723 – Sponsored by Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-3), this bill is a compilation of multiple anti-gun bills that have been introduced this session. Among other provisions, this bill replaces existing FID cards with driver license endorsements or other forms of ID; suspends Second Amendment rights if one does not have proof of firearms training, including for all current handgun owners; imposes a seven-day waiting period for handgun purchases; bans all private sales of firearms; effectively creates a registry of ammunition purchases and long gun sales.
Senate Bill 2178 - Sponsored by state Senators Raymond Lesniak (D-20) and Barbara Buono (D-18) is a flat-out statewide gun ban on possession of .50 caliber firearms. These firearms are heavy, expensive, and not misused in crimes, yet anti-gun lawmakers are still seeking to ban them.
Senate Bill 2485 - Sponsored by state Senator Nicholas Scutari (D-22) this bill disqualifies any person on the federal Terrorist Watchlist from obtaining firearms identification card or a permit to purchase a handgun. This bill results in suspension of Second Amendment rights based on a secret government list – which is known to be filled with errors- without providing any right to due process.
Senate Floor action was also delayed on a pro-gun bill, Senate Bill 2552. Sponsored by Senator Jeff Van Drew (D-1), this bill seeks to protect gun owner identity by preventing public disclosure of any documents related to use or ownership of firearms.
Please immediately call and e-mail your two Assembly members and tell them to oppose all gun control bills.
Please also continue to call your state Senator and ask him or her to oppose mandatory training for FID cards and oppose banning .50 caliber rifles. Ask them to support fixing New Jersey’s broken gun laws instead of refusing to address real problems, and respectfully insist that they enforce current law which requires FID cards to be approved in thirty days.
Contact information for your state legislators can be found here.
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