Anti-gun New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy quickly seized on the mass shooting in Buffalo, N.Y. on Monday to push for stronger gun control laws, while failing to mention New York already has strict gun control laws and that they failed to prevent the deadly incident.
According to NJ.com, Murphy declared gun rights activists and “conspiracy theorists” could “shove their thoughts and prayers.”
The three-term Democrat governor acknowledged his concern over an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court ruling that may strike down New York’s concealed carry permit system which requires an applicant to show “good cause” in order to qualify for a carry permit. The case is known as New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. A ruling is expected in late June.
Murphy has supported increasingly restrictive gun control laws during his term, and an affirmative ruling by the high court on right-to-carry, which is the core issue in the New York case, will likely have a significant impact on New Jersey’s handgun permitting law as well.
Perhaps dreading a decision that smacks down New Jersey’s gun permit law, which has been described as arbitrary, Murphy declared it is “well past time for outrage and action.” NJ.com said he called on the Democrat-controlled Congress to “step up and pass real nationwide gun safety legislation.”
The story also said Murphy wants his own state’s legislature, also controlled by Democrats, to “pass a new package of gun-control bills he is pushing.”
Murphy wants legislation requiring so-called “safe storage” and he wants to ban the sale of .50-caliber guns in the state and raise the minimum age for purchasing long guns from 18 to 21. Murphy also wants record-keeping on all ammunition sales.
