The New Jersey chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety, released the following statements after Governor Phil Murphy announced his support for a comprehensive package of gun violence prevention legislation. Comprising nearly a dozen common-sense gun violence prevention policies, this package is a thoughtful and data-driven response to the daily gun violence, unintentional shootings and other gun violence tragedies that continue to devastate communities across the Garden State.
New Jersey, like all of America, has seen the collision of two major public health crises: Covid-19 and gun violence. The policies in the Governor’s package will help combat these crises by investing in community-based solutions and sorely needed research, preventing unauthorized access to firearms, promoting technology to help solve gun crimes, and helping hold the gun industry accountable for their role in exacerbating the crisis.
“New Jersey, like the country as a whole, has been plagued by gun violence for too long,” said Shani Nuckols, a volunteer with New Jersey Moms Demand Action. “Our communities have felt this epidemic deeply, from the tragedy of mass shootings to the daily scourge of gun violence. The governor’s action today is another comprehensive step towards tackling gun violence in all its forms, and if passed would make New Jersey a safer place.”
“This is more than thoughts and prayers, this is robust and life-saving action” said Laurence Fine, Student Leader with Bergen County Students Demand Action and a member of the Students Demand Action National Advisory Board. “Governor Murphy’s sweeping package will help prevent gun violence and, most importantly, save lives. We thank the governor for taking these important actions and urge the legislature to follow his lead and prioritize the passage of these laws to protect our communities.”
“We applaud Governor Murphy for championing these comprehensive and ambitious actions to prevent gun violence and confirm New Jersey’s place as a national leader on gun safety,” said Nick Suplina, Managing Director of Law and Policy at Everytown for Gun Safety. “These policies will help address the crisis of gun violence and the problems New Jerseyans face every day, from city gun violence to firearm suicide. I cannot emphasize enough how important this package would be for New Jersey communities and I hope lawmakers waste no time in voting these bills into law.”
Among other things, the package of legislation would:
- Increase funding for community based violence intervention programs in the state
- Strengthen New Jersey’s responsible storage law
- Increase funding to the Rutgers Gun Violence Prevention research institute
- Create a path for accountability and civil liability for bad-actor firearm manufacturers and sellers
- Raise the minimum age to purchase rifles and shotguns to 21
- Require microstamping
- Require safety training for all purchase permits
- Improve record keeping on ammo sales
- Add .50 caliber weapons to the state’s assault weapons ban
In New Jersey, 445 people are killed and 1,398 people are wounded by guns every year. Gun violence costs New Jersey $3.4 billion each year, of which $200.1 million is paid by taxpayers. Learn more about gun violence in New Jersey here.
