Phil Murphy on Gun Control

	Phil Murphy on Gun Control

Proposed sweeping safety package to reduce gun crimes

Murphy unveiled a sweeping series of reforms aimed at reducing the epidemic of gun violence. "Half of New Jersey's gun homicides occur in only five cities, and the number of gun crimes in these cities has skyrocketed over the last year," said Governor Murphy. "We cannot sit back when we know there is more to do to address the danger of gun violence in our communities. By taking the steps we are announcing today, we will further commit to making every block and every street in our state safer." Source: NJ 2021 Gubernatorial press release "Gun Safety" , Apr 15, 2021

Reduce maximum magazine size from 15 rounds to 10

[At a gun rally, one protester] held up a sign that on one side said, "Only traitors vote for gun control" and on the other, "Stop resisting the Constitution." [One speaker noted,] "the same way that you are able to own a car that goes 140 mph, I should be able to own a gun that fires more than 10 rounds in a clip."

Indeed, the New Jersey Legislature's bill to reduce the magazine size from 15 rounds to 10 is an extremely unpopular idea with this crowd. Murphy unveiled a sweeping series of reforms aimed at reducing the epidemic of gun violence. "Half of New Jersey's gun homicides occur in only five cities, and the number of gun crimes in these cities has skyrocketed over the last year," said Governor Murphy. "We cannot sit back when we know there is more to do to address the danger of gun violence in our communities. By taking the steps we are announcing today, we will further commit to making every block and every street in our state safer."

Source: NJ 2021 Gubernatorial press release "Gun Safety" , Apr 14, 2018

Gun violence epidemic is a public health crisis

I won't pander to special interests like the NRA. Gun violence is a public health crisis, and we must pursue smart, sensible solutions. The gun violence epidemic continues to plague our state and our nation. Tragically, guns remain a leading cause of death in our country:

More than 33,000 people died in gun-related deaths in 2014 alone.
In 2015, New Jersey saw a 4% increase in homicides. The vast majority of these violent crimes involve a firearm.
Most tragically, dozens of people were killed last year in accidental gun deaths in which the shooter was five years old or younger--deaths that personalized, smart gun technology would prevent.

The gun violence epidemic is nothing short of a public health crisis. And yet, Governor Christie continues to stand in the way of sensible reforms. These bipartisan measures would have kept guns out of the hands of gang members, restricted the size of gun magazines, and prohibited the sale of .50-caliber rifles. Source: 2017 N.J. gubernatorial campaign website, Murphy4NJ.com , Jun 6, 2017

Sensible gun safety regulations: taxes & training

The gun violence epidemic is nothing short of a public health crisis. And yet, Governor Christie continues to stand in the way of sensible reforms. He has vetoed bills that had universal support from New Jerseyans. Governor Christie's continued opposition to sensible gun safety regulations does not protect our 2nd Amendment rights. It simply makes us less safe. A truly comprehensive answer to reducing gun violence must come from the federal government. Yet that is not an excuse for inaction. Phil Murphy believes that sensible regulations can encourage gun safety and lower levels of violence while still preserving Second Amendment rights for law-abiding residents. As governor, Phil would sign every piece of commonsense legislation that Christie vetoed; mandate gun safety training; promote smart gun technology; and tax gun sales to fund law enforcement, mental health services, and drug treatment. Source: 2017 New Jersey Gubernatorial website, Murphy4NJ.com , Sep 19, 2016

States for Gun Safety: fill void left by no Federal policy.

Murphy signed Press release on Gun Safety from 7 Governors

Massachusetts, Delaware and Puerto Rico are joining the `States for Gun Safety` coalition--a multi-state partnership launched this month to combat the gun violence epidemic. With the addition of these new members, the coalition of states now represents over 35 million Americans and will take action to stop gun-related violence in the face of continued federal inaction.

Governor Cuomo (D-NY) said, `It`s time for the horrifying mass shootings that have plagued this country for far too long to spur real action and real policy changes. Our states collectively already have better gun safety laws than the federal government, and by working together to share information and bolster enforcement, we will keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals and better protect our communities. If the federal government refuses to act, we will work together to enact the important reforms families deserve, and I welcome these new states to our coalition.`

The three new states will join NY, CT, NJ, and RI in directing their law enforcement intelligence centers to work cooperatively to trace the use of out-of-state guns in crimes and share information in order to intercept criminals transporting illegal guns across state borders.

Additionally, the partner states will also work together to designate an institute of higher education to join the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium, to fill the void left by the federal government`s 1996 ban on the use of federal funds to study gun violence which has obstructed research efforts across the nation.

Building on these efforts, the states will also work to push the federal government to adopt common-sense gun safety measures. In order to protect families and communities across the region, the group will call on the federal government to swiftly enact universal background checks, an assault weapons ban and a federal waiting period between the purchase and delivery of guns.

Source: Press release on Gun Safety from 7 Governors 18LTR-SGS on Feb 26, 2018

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