New Jersey: Final Gun Control Legislation Passes Senate and Awaits Governor Chris Christie’s Signature

This week, the New Jersey Legislature took final action on the remaining “centerpiece” gun bill, Senate President Stephen Sweeney's Senate Bill 2723 / Assembly Bill 4182.  This legislation passed the Assembly on a 43-34 vote on Monday and the Senate on a partisan vote of 22-16 on Thursday.  This bill now moves to Governor Christie's (R) desk to await consideration.  Contact Governor Christie to request his veto of S 2723 AND the .50 caliber ban bill Assembly Bill 3659 / Senate Bill 2178, which also received final approval this past week.

S 2723/A 4182 represents a serious attack on the constitutional rights of lawful New Jersey gun owners.  If signed by Governor Christie, the legislation will require proof of firearms training simply to buy a firearm.  The bill also attaches permit information to drivers’ licenses or another form of ID, and it goes even further by registering ammunition purchases.  

Assembly Bill 3659 / Senate Bill 2178, sponsored by Assemblyman Peter Barnes (D-18), seeks to ban the possession of certain firearms .50 caliber or greater.  Despite the fact that there are no known reports of these firearms being used in the commission of a crime, anti-gun legislators ignored the hard evidence in order to advance their misguided agenda.

Action this week by the Legislature will likely conclude business as lawmakers approach summer recess.  The Governor is expected to act on the bills over the summer, and it is important that NRA members immediately contact the Governor's Office and respectfully ask him to oppose these dangerous anti-Second Amendment bills. (When using the email tool at the link provided above, please select "law and public safety" from the drop-down list of topics.)  Remind Governor Christie that New Jersey already has some of the most extreme gun control laws in the country.  Rather than target lawful gun owners, politicians should focus on addressing New Jersey’s serious crime problem.  Clearly, more gun control laws are not the answer.                                                                                 

Thank you to all the NRA members who took an active role in standing up for the Second Amendment and contacting their legislators this session.  This is your one last opportunity to halt this historic assault on our constitutional rights in New Jersey.  It is vital that Gov. Christie hear from New Jersey gun owners now.

Governor Chris Christie

Office of the Governor
PO Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625

Phone: (609) 292-6000

Email by clicking here.