The state of New Jersey sometimes seems like it’s never met a gun control law it didn’t like. They’re bad about infringing on people’s rights to the point that I’ve joked residents should move to Illinois so they can live in a more pro-gun state.

It’s only kind of a joke.

Earlier this month, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy introduced a number of gun control measures he wanted to see passed. It seemed likely that, all things considered, they’d become law.

And they still may, but it’s not looking too good for this go-around.

New Jersey lawmakers took action Monday on parts of a gun reform package backed by Gov. Phil Murphy, but it’s unclear if any of those measures — and any measures not voted on this week — will be signed into law during the lame duck session.

Proponents say the bundle, nearly a dozen that would do things like ban .50 caliber weapons and require gun owners who move from out-of-state to register their guns, could help curb gun violence in some of the state’s major cities.

On Monday, the General Assembly passed the latter bill by a 47-26 vote. It also passed a resolution supporting Murphy’s call to reconvene the States For Gun Safety summit — a regional summit that draws officials from several U.S. states to discuss gun violence and safety.

Both houses unanimously passed a bill to ensure students’ well-being during school active shooter drills. It would prohibit the use of panic or trauma-inducing content and imagery in instructional material.

The Assembly had planned to vote on at least a half dozen other gun measures on Monday, but a kind of filibuster initiated by a handful of Republicans protesting a State House vaccine-or-negative test mandate caused the voting session to stretch late into the night.

While it’s not a done deal, there’s been no mention of whether the bills will be taken back up when lawmakers return after the holidays, suggesting that the effort effectively scuttled the bills.

However, I wouldn’t get too excited if I were you.

Remember, this is New Jersey. They want these laws, regardless of whether they’re needed or not. I can’t recall a single crime of note where a .50 caliber firearm was used, but that won’t stop them from trying to ban them. If they’ll do that, then it’s clear they’re going to do everything they can to make gun ownership in the state next to impossible.

Whether they do it this year or next isn’t particularly important in the grand scheme of things.

The truth is that the only hope is for residents in New Jersey to step up and demand their lawmakers knock this crap off and, if they don’t, put them out of office.

Do that and then y’all can start taking your gun rights back and putting a permanent end to this stupidity. Otherwise, next, you’ll see something else get banned for no good reason, just because it sounds scary to the easily frightened. About par for the course for New Jersey, after all, unless something changes.