The New Jersey chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots networks, released the following statement applauding the New Jersey Assembly for passing bill A4769 to address the new dangers created by the Supreme Court’s flawed decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. The bill also passed the New Jersey Senate Law & Public Policy Committee. The legislation strengthens the state’s firearm licensing laws and establishes a comprehensive list of sensitive locations where guns may not be carried, including playgrounds, bars and restaurants that serve alcohol, train stations, and polling places.
“There are some places where guns simply don’t belong — places like playgrounds and bars and restaurants that serve alcohol,” said Shani Nuckols, a volunteer with the New Jersey chapter of Moms Demand Action. “We can easily imagine how much worse the 2018 Art All Night shooting in Trenton could have been if more civilians in the large crowd that night were carrying firearms and started shooting. We applaud the diligent work of the Assembly for taking action to make us safer. It is now up to the Senate to follow suit, and we will continue to be a partner with the Legislature to fight for common sense gun safety laws to ensure that our communities are protected.”
The Supreme Court’s decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen struck down an important provision of New York State’s concealed carry permitting law that required an individual to prove they had “proper cause” to carry concealed firearms in public. The Bruen decision dangerously lowered the bar for who can carry guns in public. In addition to removing language similar to New York’s challenged law, bill A4769 responds to the heightened risk created by the court’s ruling by setting strong minimum standards for who may carry concealed guns in public, and creating clear rules on where guns are prohibited.
In an average year, 439 people are killed by guns in New Jersey and another 874 are wounded. Gun violence costs New Jersey $5.3 billion each year, of which $168.9 million is paid by taxpayers. More information about gun violence in New Jersey is available here.
