Governor Phil Murphy Announced $2 Million Will Go Towards Gun Violence Research in His 2019 Fiscal Year Budget Address
TRENTON, N.J.– The New Jersey chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, today applauded Governor Murphy’s announcement that he will provide $2 million to establish a Gun Violence Research Center. The center will be based at one of New Jersey’s state colleges or universities.
For more than twenty years, federal law has severely limited research into our nation’s gun violence epidemic—a public health crisis that claims the lives of 96 Americans each and every day. Research into the causes of and ways to prevent deaths caused by smoking, heart disease and other public health emergencies has saved millions of lives. But due to pressure from the gun lobby, the federal government has failed to conduct or fund gun violence prevention research.
STATEMENT FROM BRETT SABO, VOLUNTEER LEADER WITH THE NEW JERSEY CHAPTER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN SENSE IN AMERICA:
“We are thrilled Governor Murphy prioritized public safety in his budget for next year, and that he will continue New Jersey’s legacy as a leader on gun violence prevention. We know that gun violence is a preventable public health crisis and that we need to study it further in order to develop evidence-based policies to prevent it. Whether by helping to form the States for Gun Safety coalition or funding a gun violence research center, it is clear that Governor Murphy is a gun sense champion and is dedicated to protecting New Jersey families.”
