Weekly Spotlight 2/4 – 2/10/23
Federal Judge Deals Blow to Gun Control Law in New Jersey
Last October, the USCCA-FSL wrote, “It is not the role of the government to mandate responsible gun owners purchase liability insurance, nor place hurdle after hurdle for responsible gun owners to exercise their inalienable right to self defense.” That statement was published in response to the New Jersey state legislature introducing one of the most restrictive pieces of gun control legislation in the country. We promised to monitor the progress of this bill, and we have.
Unfortunately, New Jersey’s leaders ignored the landmark Supreme Court ruling in NYSRPA v. Bruen by passing the bill in December, after which Governor Phil Murphy signed it into law. It requires law-abiding concealed carry holders to purchase liability insurance, a first among even the most gun control-heavy states, it broadly bans firearms in large swaths of public buildings and spaces, and it increases the permit fee from $50 to $200. These are onerous restrictions that stunt the ability of responsible gun owners from protecting themselves, their families, and their communities.
To the chagrin of gun control proponents, a federal judge defended the Second Amendment rights of New Jersians this week by temporarily blocking part of the law from being enforced. In the court order, U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb wrote, “The threat of criminal prosecution for exercising their Second Amendment rights, as the holders of valid permits from the state to conceal carry handguns, constitutes irreparable injury on behalf of plaintiffs, and neither the State nor the public has an interest in enforcing unconstitutional laws.”
According to Judge Bumb, there is no historical or legal precedent on which the government can base broad bans on lawfully carrying a firearm in public places. Her ruling, while only temporary, ensures that New Jersey gun owners can continue to exercise their God-given right to self-defense.
The USCCA-FSL stands unequivocally opposed to legislative and regulatory attempts to strip the right to concealed carry away from law-abiding citizens. The results of legal challenges to these gun control attempts, in New Jersey and several other states, will reverberate throughout the country. That’s why we’re continually monitoring these developments, providing our supporters with updates, and advocating to protect the Second Amendment rights of all Americans.
Stay updated with this issue and others by visiting our website and be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
OTHER NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
- Fox News: Florida bill could hand gun owners huge win, make the US a constitutional carry-majority country
Florida lawmakers introduced legislation on Monday to allow people to carry a concealed firearm without having to get a government-issued permit – a move that could make the majority of U.S. states permitless-carry territory. “Our right to bear arms, of course, is enshrined in the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,” Republican state Rep. Chuck Brannan said during a press conference in Tallahassee. “The bill that I will file later today continues to advance Second Amendment freedoms through legislation known as ‘constitutional carry.’”
- Los Angeles Times: For some Asian Americans, fear is driving a spike in gun sales
In 2019, medical researchers in California reviewed 20 years’ worth of monthly gun sales data from the state to understand how mass shootings affect the firearms market…“For a small but growing number of Asian Americans, owning a gun seems like the only way to feel safe,” they wrote. Research shows that Asian Americans have been buying more firearms in the last few years, along with other racial groups. A national survey of gun retailers conducted by an industry trade group showed 30% of respondents reported an uptick in Asian American customers.
- San Francisco Chronicle: Pushed by landmark Supreme Court ruling, San Francisco approves rare concealed-carry gun permit
For the first time since a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year, the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office approved a resident’s application to carry a concealed weapon, known as a CCW permit. “We can confirm we did approve our first CCW permit Friday,” said Tara Moriarty, a department spokesperson. The applicant is Benjamin Zheng, who works at an automobile body shop in the Tenderloin. The Supreme Court in June ruled that states with strict gun laws could not force residents to show a special need for self-defense in order to obtain permits allowing hidden firearms.
Several Oklahoma Sheriffs have issued statements regarding the new ATF pistol brace rule and have announced they would not be enforcing it. The new rule hasn’t gone into effect yet but is expected to soon. Sheriffs in Oklahoma, Logan, and Garvin counties have all stated their offices wouldn’t enforce the new rule. You can expect more and more sheriff’s offices to release similar statements in the next few days.