There’s a bill that’s been circulating for several weeks now that’s known as the “NJ Carry Killer” bill. Essentially the bills, A4769 / S3214, are New Jersey’s response to being forced to issue the peasants permits to carry in the Garden State. Similar to New York’s hijinx, New Jersey has stepped up to the plate to swing at more unconstitutional provisions being added to the already overly burdensome world of firearm law. The bill would do several dirty and nasty things to those that wish to exercise their rights in the state, but one element has gone very overlooked, and it has to do with those who have or wish to receive mental health help.
The short list of what the bill would do when it becomes law that everyone has been focusing on is as follows:
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.
Recently I had several chats with New Jersey resident JD. JD has been trying to raise the alarm about this bill since he read the first draft of it, and has seemed to be hitting dead ends in every direction he turns. JD reached out to The Second Press, and we got to chat with him quite a bit about the provisions he’s worried about.
JD pointed to a provision in the proposed law that would not only affect him, but many other people. In JD’s own words, he said the bill should it become law would get people killed. And he’s right. When/if enacted, besides creating many instant felons, this will chill gun owners seeking mental health help in the future. As for if enacted…really, it is a foregone conclusion that this unconstitutional garbage is going to pass and be signed, with the final Senate vote scheduled for Monday the 19th.
JD said of the measure:
Oh, it will get people killed. Currently…I forget where I read this years ago, one of the national organizations of psychiatry commented about New Jersey's laws, and the whole way that they handle any mental health is dangerous that it prohibits people who own firearms from actually seeking help, when they could get treatment and it's not that big of a deal.
From the text of the measure, one of the classes of people who would be disqualified from obtaining a Pistol Purcher’s Permit or Firearms Identification Card (FID), required in order to get a permit to carry, are:
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