On Monday, December 15, the Assembly Judiciary Committee passed a pair of bad gun control bills along party lines. NRA-ILA testified against S.1425/A.3789 and A.6211, and interestingly, there were no witnesses calling for passage. Despite the lack of support, the one-sided debate ended in 4–2 votes to advance both bills, with both Republicans on the panel voting NO. These bills do nothing to enhance public safety. The first bill is a swipe at gun dealers, and the second bill is a response to the Bruen decision by anti-Second Amendment lawmakers in Trenton. Please contact your Assembly member and respectfully urge them to OPPOSE S.1425, A.3789, and A.6211.
S.1425/A.3789 purports to go after gun traffickers. However, what the bill really does is threaten legitimate dealers and others who have done nothing wrong and have followed state-mandated procedures to the letter. This bill punishes firearms dealers who “reasonably should know” if a purchaser is prohibited from owning firearms. This completely ignores the reality that every firearm transfer through a licensed dealer must pass a state and federal background check before a gun can be released. How is it that a dealer “reasonably should know” something about a purchaser when the State itself tells the dealer it is OK to transfer the firearm? This legislation was intentionally crafted with bad language for the very purpose of harassing honest dealers.
A.6211 enhances penalties for “trespass” with a firearm. While this sounds innocuous, it is a not-so-thinly-disguised attack on concealed carry rights. Gun control advocates in Trenton despise the Bruen decision and will do what they can to undermine and obfuscate the right to carry. This bill would use trespass laws to expand the list of so-called “sensitive places” where carry is restricted and increase penalties—up to a permanent loss of firearms rights—for violations. This is an extremely dangerous bill for New Jersey concealed carry permit holders.
NRA-ILA will continue to monitor these bills throughout the lame duck session and fight for the rights of law-abiding New Jersey gun owners.
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