Phil Murphy, Democratic candidate for governor, assailed Chris Christie’s late-day vetoes of gun safety legislation yesterday, saying the moves prove the governor is now firmly in lock-step with Donald Trump and the extreme elements of the NRA, leaving the wants and needs of New Jerseyans for common sense gun laws by the wayside.
Murphy, in contrast, has proposed an 8-point plan to tackle gun violence that includes the multitude of measures Christie has vetoed.
“With his veto pen, Chris Christie might as well be signing the name ‘Donald Trump,’ since it’s obvious that’s where his true allegiance now is,” said Murphy. “The opinions of the majority of New Jerseyans who want us to have strong, common sense gun safety laws no longer count in Christie’s world. It’s all about placating Trump and the NRA.”
The vetoes yesterday effectively would rewrite state law to allow for almost any resident to carry a concealed handgun — the law currently requires someone to prove a “justifiable need” for a concealed weapon — and also hinder development of “smart gun” technology, which would allow a gun to be discharged only by its owner.
Fairleigh-Dickinson University’s PublicMind poll found last month that only 23% of respondents supported loosening the state’s concealed-carry laws.
“Our state needs a governor who sides with the overwhelming majority of New Jerseyans who have said ‘enough’ to Trump’s and the NRA’s rhetoric, not a governor who runs into their embrace,” said Murphy. “More guns isn’t the answer to gun violence on our streets. Common sense and strong enforcement of our laws is.”