The bill that’s been coined the “carry killer” bill in New Jersey is rapidly approaching the Governor’s desk. On Monday December 19th a full Senate vote is scheduled on A4769 / S3214. The contentious and unconstitutional measure has seen some change since being introduced, but not nearly enough to meet the threshold of acceptability according to NYSRPA v. Bruen. For New Jersey to actually meet the standards set forth in the NYSRPA opinion, more laws would have to be repealed, not created.

As a refresher, this bill is going to affect not only carry, but also those seeking to procure and possess firearms in their home. According to the Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Club’s (ANJRPC) most recent release, we have the following on the measure:

On Monday, December 19 at 3:00 p.m., the New Jersey full Senate is scheduled to vote on A4769 /  S3214 , carry-killer legislation previously passed in the Assembly to do an end-run around the U.S. Supreme Court’s Bruen decision and unlawfully block carry in nearly all common public places. This is the last stop before this legislation reaches the governor’s desk .

Among many other things, this legislation would unconstitutionally:

• Ban carry in common public places by labeling them as “sensitive places.” Includes parks, beaches, restaurants, theaters, stadiums, arenas, and many other common public places.;
• Ban carry inside one’s own car;
• Ban carry at public gatherings;
• Ban carry on all private property automatically, unless the property owner specifically posts notices specifically allowing it;
• Significantly increase fees for purchaser credentials and carry permits, discriminating against low-income citizens;
• Mandate liability insurance (which may not even be available) as a pre-condition to exercising carry rights;
• Mandate a new training requirement beyond the already-difficult one that has existed for many decades;
• Use past online posts as grounds to deny purchase and carry permits;
• Allow denial of permits based on purely subjective factors like someone’s “character” or “temperament.”

To add insult to injury, the latest amendments to this legislation now create an elite class of public officials who can carry without having to first obtain a permit, and who are not bound by “sensitive places” restrictions that apply to everyone else.

We’ve hashed out the finer details on this bill in the pages and airwaves of Bearing Arms ad nauseam over the last couple of months. While the bill remains extremely flawed, I have to agree with some of the reasoning that was presented to me recently…the quicker this nonsense is passed and signed into law, the quicker that the legal challenges can come. And legal challenges there certainly will be.

Is it a foregone conclusion that this bill will pass on Monday? I’m going to say with a 99% certainty, yes. Is Governor Phil Murphy, who is eyeing a run for the White House, looking to give this as a big “F U” to the law-abiding gun owners in New Jersey for Christmas and Hanukkah? You bet ya he’s looking to turducken Second Amendment supporters by cramming this into our void cavities while he’s wassailing himself silly. But that does not mean we should not make our voices heard.

The advice of ANJRPC is to still go forward and air our grievances. In fact, I invite all those across the country to voice their opinions, as this bill will affect you too in the long run. Permits to carry in the Garden State are open to nonresidents, so I invite out of staters to both apply for their permits to carry as well as let their opinions be known too.

From the Association:

PLEASE IMMEDIATELY CLICK HERE  TO CONTACT EVERY NJ STATE SENATOR. Tell them to PLEASE VOTE NO ON A4769 / S3214 ATTACKING RIGHT TO CARRY IN VIOLATION OF THE U.S. SUPREME COURT’S BRUEN DECISION. THE SUPREME COURT HAS SPOKEN, AND RIGHT TO CARRY MAY NO LONGER BE DISRUPTED OR INFRINGED BY STATE LEGISLATURES. IF PASSED, THIS LEGISLATION WILL QUICKLY BE OVERTURNED BY THE COURTS AND THE STATE WILL BE FORCED TO PAY THE SUBSTANTIAL LEGAL FEES OF THE GUN RIGHTS GROUPS CHALLENGING THE LEGISLATION.

The next probable news on this topic is going to be that the bill has been signed into law. I, along with others, suspect Murphy is going to sign this as soon as possible. Shortly thereafter it’s going to bring great pleasure to those of us reporting on the onslaught of litigation to dismantle this egregious garbage which is being passed off as “Constitutional”.