TRENTON, NJ – OP-ED – New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy should spend more time with legal gun owners at gun ranges than in the halls of Trenton’s Statehouse talking to likeminded people who really don’t know a hunting rifle from a handgun.
The governor’s misguided and ill-informed gun policies aren’t taking illegal guns out of the hands of criminals in New Jersey, but making law abiding gun owners criminals.
Governor Phil Murphy signed new gun control measures since taking office, aimed at reducing firearm ownership in New Jersey.
Those measures include banning things beyond guns, including bb guns and slingshots. New Jersey now leads the nation in restricting the second amendment, thanks in part to Murphy, but also due to his predecessors and the Democrat-controlled legislature.
Governor Phil Murphy approved a series of laws designed to limit gun access and ownership in the state. The legislation introduces a new permit process, restricts magazine capacities, and enhances background checks. The move has drawn strong reactions from both proponents and opponents of gun control.
Under the new laws, prospective gun buyers must undergo a comprehensive psychological evaluation and complete a state-approved safety course. The measures also limit magazine capacities to 10 rounds and require universal background checks for all gun sales, including private transactions.
Lawmakers in support argue that the laws will make communities safer by preventing firearms from falling into the wrong hands. Opponents say the measures infringe upon Second Amendment rights and may not effectively address the root causes of gun violence.
That root cause is illegal guns being trafficked into New Jersey by criminal elements that end up on city streets and used in gang and drug related criminal activities.
Legal gun owners aren’t buying or using illegal guns.
Instead, the governor has relaxed the criminal code in New Jersey and introduced laws and policy to give criminals who use guns a second, third and sometimes fourth chance, while legal gun owners are raked through the coals, often because of minor infractions in the criminal code on guns only.
New Jersey’s gun laws under Phil Murphy are intentionally ambiguous and vague. They are confusing and sometimes you need a lawyer to determine the intent of the law and navigating through technicalities.
Meanwhile, crime isn’t dropping because of the legislation.
Public debates on the issue have intensified in recent weeks. Local organizations have organized rallies, and social media campaigns continue to attract attention. The state legislature remains deeply divided.
Governor Murphy, who has long advocated for stricter gun control, stated that these laws are a step towards making New Jersey a safer place. Legal challenges to the new legislation are ongoing.