NJ Gov. Phil Murphy To Sign 8 Bills That May Change Many Lives

In just a matter of days, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy could sign 8 of the most transformative bills in New Jersey history. Besides the sports betting law he signed Monday, the biggest day of bill signing is expected to be Wednesday.

Indeed, Murphy said he will finally do it: Sign six gun control bills passed by the state Legislature Thursday. The new laws will probably be the most sweeping gun-control legislation that's been approved in the nation.

“New Jersey passed sweeping gun safety legislation, including measures to expand background checks, reduce magazine capacity, and keep firearms out of the wrong hands,” Murphy tweeted.

Murphy also said that, on Wednesday, "I'll sign these bills into law, establishing some of the toughest gun laws in the nation."

Also:

• Murphy could sign bill into law that would ban smoking on New Jersey’s beaches. The bill, S-2534, would prohibit smoking by extending the existing provisions of the “New Jersey Smoke Free Air Act” to public beaches throughout the state.
• On Monday, Murphy signed a long-awaited bill into law that allows sports betting at New Jersey casinos and racetracks for certain professional and collegiate sports or athletic events. You can start betting on Thursday. Read more here: NJ Gov. Phil Murphy Signs Sports Betting Bill Into Law

The six gun bills were introduced after the mass high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead Feb. 14. They received final legislative approval on Thursday and now head to the governor for his signature.

Just about all of them got complete bipartisan approval: Legislation that prohibits possession of ammunition capable of penetrating body armor, for instance, was passed 37-0 in the state Senate.

The bills also include: legislation aiming to keep guns away from those who pose threats; reducing ammunition magazine capacity; enhancing background checks; and countering efforts to weaken gun safety regulations.

Here's a brief overview of each measure:

Gun access for people who pose a threat of harm

The legislation, A-1181, requires firearms seizure when certain health care professionals determine patients pose a threat of harm to themselves or to others.

“For someone who may be struggling with disturbing thoughts, having access to a firearm significantly increases the likelihood of suicide,” said Assemblywoman Patricia Egan Jones, D-Camden-Gloucester. “By reducing their access to a lethal weapon, New Jersey can help prevent fatalities among those with serious mental health concerns.”

Gun access for people who are "mentally unstable"

The legislation, A-1217, known as the "Extreme Risk Protective Order Act of 2018," addresses gun access for people who are not mentally suitable to possess a firearm.

“We’ve seen too many ‘what ifs’ when it comes to these mass shootings, often centered around the question of why didn’t somebody do something to take guns away from someone who is mentally unstable,” said Assemblyman John McKeon, D-Essex-Morris. “This bill makes it easier to accomplish that goal and, ultimately, protect our communities and our children. The status quo doesn’t work. We need to take new approaches that allow authorities a real chance to keep guns away from mentally unstable individuals who pose a threat to us all.”

Reduces maximum capacity of ammunition

The legislation, A-2761, reduces the maximum capacity of ammunition magazines to 10 rounds and exempts firearms with .22 caliber tubular magazines from a 10-round limitation.

“Meeting the families of Sandy Hook was one of the most moving experiences of my 22 years of public service,” said Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald, D-Camden/Burlington. “For these families, the single most important piece of legislation we could fight for is lowering magazine capacity. I refuse to let these families down, to look them in the eyes and tell them we are powerless - that their loved ones were a tragic but necessary, loss. No loss to gun violence is ever necessary."

Background checks

The legislation, A-2757, requires background checks for private gun sales.

“Requiring a licensee to complete a National Instant Criminal Background Check on the recipient of the handgun, rifle or shotgun is just plain common sense,” Greenwald said. “It’s shocking that we don’t do this already, but with this bill we fix this gaping loophole.”

"Justifiable need"

The legislation, A-2758, codifies regulations that define the "justifiable need" to carry a handgun.

“New Jersey’s gun safety laws are among the strongest in the nation and we must keep them that way,’ Greenwald said. “Overturning these unsafe regulations has been a top priority of mine. While I commend Gov. Murphy for doing the right thing to keep our streets safe and ensure laws are enforced as intended, we need to make sure that no future governor can attempt to carelessly weaken our gun safety rules.”

Body armor

The legislation, A-2759, prohibits possession of ammunition that's capable of penetrating body armor.

“As technology advances, so does the threat to our police officers who must brave criminals armed with powerful weapons,” Greenwald said. “Criminalizing the use of this type of ammunition is common sense. Our officers risk their lives daily. Let’s protect them.”

The smoking ban legislation, sponsored by Senate President Steve Sweeney, and Sens. Vin Gopal and Bob Smith, was amended to extend the smoking ban to state, county and municipal parks, making it identical to the Assembly version. Approved by both houses, the measure now goes to the governor.

“This is an issue that impacts the environmental quality of the Jersey Shore, the health of beachgoers exposed to second-hand smoke, the quality of life for residents and visitors, and ultimately, the economic well-being of Shore communities,” said Sweeney. “We don’t want our beaches littered with cigarette butts, the air polluted with smoke or the ocean wildlife exposed to threat of discarded cigarettes.”

“The Jersey Shore has always been one of New Jersey’s most treasured natural assets,” said Senator Gopal. “We have the best beaches and the most desirable beachfront communities in the country – and we want to keep it that way. They have environmental and economic value that should not be lost or damaged by the ill effects of smoking on the beach. This legislation ensures that our beaches will be free of cigarette butts and our lungs free of smoke.”

Cigarette filters are among the top types of litter collected from beaches, according to environmental advocates, who collected an estimated 25,000 cigarette filters from New Jersey beaches in “beach sweeps” last year alone.

The smoking ban would not include beach parking lots and it would allow municipalities to designate up to 15 percent of a beach for permitted smoking, according to the legislation.

In 2005, under the original “New Jersey Smoke Free Air Act,” the Legislature found and declared tobacco smoke to constitute a substantial health hazard to the nonsmoking majority and found it in the public interest to prohibit smoking in most enclosed indoor places of public access and workplaces. This bill amends the 2005 law to extend the ban to state, county, municipal beaches and state parks.

A violation of the proposed law would include a fine of not less than $250 for the first offense, $500 for the second offense and $1,000 for each subsequent offense. It would take effect 180 days after enactment.

Nationwide, more than 300 coastal communities have banned smoking on their beaches, according to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation. In New Jersey, an increasing number of beach communities have enacted local smoking bans on their own in recent years, with at least 19 towns enacting the prohibition.

The Senate vote was 32-1.

Gov. Murphy photo