New Jersey governor signs bill overhauling gun carry rules
SCOTCH PLAINS, N.J. (CBS/AP) — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday signed an overhaul to the rules to get a firearm carry permit, legislation that was spurred by this summer's U.S. Supreme Court ruling expanding gun rights.
"While we are bound to follow the Supreme Court's ruling, we are also obligated to do everything we can to make sure guns don't proliferate," Murphy, a Democrat, said before signing the measure during a ceremony in Scotch Plains.
The Democrat-led Senate had passed the measure Monday, sending it to Murphy's desk. Republicans had opposed the legislation, raising questions about its constitutionality, and gun rights advocates predicted it wouldn't pass constitutional muster.
"By signing this legislation, Gov. Murphy has effectively ended any chance of ever being elected to higher office outside of New Jersey, and has confirmed that the Constitution is indeed 'above his pay grade,'" said Scott Bach, the head of the Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Clubs.
The legislation scraps New Jersey's current requirement that those seeking a permit to carry a firearm show "justifiable need" and be of "good character" to reflect the Supreme Court's June ruling. Other changes in the legislation include disqualifications for those who have been confined over their mental health and people who have had restraining orders as any "fugitive from justice."
The measure also calls for the end of a paper permitting system that used quadruplicate documents to register applicants. It also would establish a yet-to-be created online gun sales portal.
It increases from three to four the number of endorsements from non-family members in order to get a permit. They would also have to be interviewed by law enforcement officials as well.
The measure also boosts training requirements, calling for online, in-person classroom and target-shooting instruction. And it would require permit carriers to carry liability insurance.
The governor says in a statement that "New Jersey will become the first state in the nation to require all permit carriers to maintain and provide proof of liability insurance with coverage for at least $300,000 on account of injury, death, or damage to property arising out of ownership, maintenance, operation, or use of a firearm."
It expanded the list of sensitive places where individuals cannot carry firearms.
An excerpt of that list includes, but is not limited to:
High-density locations
Entertainment venues, including stadiums, arenas, amusement parks, casinos, racetracks, and publicly owned libraries and museum
Youth sporting events and other recreational facilities, such as public parks, beaches, and playground
Bars, restaurants where alcohol is served, and any other locations that serve alcohol for on-premises consumption
Airports and public transportation hubs
Locations with vulnerable populations
Schools, colleges, and universities
Daycare and child-care facilities
Hospitals and health care facilities
Long-term care facilities and nursing homes
Correctional facilities, juvenile justice facilities, and halfway houses
Homeless shelters
Locations with governmental and First Amendment activity
Polling places
Courthouses
Law enforcement stations and offices
Government buildings and locations with government meetings
Demonstrations, protests, and licensed public gatherings
The move to make concealed carry restrictions stricter came after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen. In the decision, the court struck down a New York gun law that limited carrying concealed firearms in public for self defense.
The court said New York's restrictions violated the Second Amendment right to "keep and bear arms."