SCOTCH PLAINS — Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation Dec. 22, affecting concealed carry restrictions for New Jersey gun owners.
The law, which comes in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that made it easier to get carry permits nationwide, has already faced challenges from two gun groups who have announced they sued the state.
The new law bans people from carrying firearms in many “sensitive places,” which include residential and commercial private property without the owner’s permission. It also prohibits concealed carry in all bars, including restaurants that serve alcohol, casinos, airports, schools, court houses, hospitals, government buildings, childcare centers, polling places, etc.
The law also reportedly requires those seeking to carry to take courses and purchase liability insurance at their own expense.
“While we are bound to follow the Supreme Court’s ruling, we are also obligated to do everything we can, consistent with that ruling, to make sure guns don’t proliferate in our communities,” Murphy reportedly said, prior signing the bill.
Murphy was critical of the Supreme Court for what he reportedly described as a “tragic, misguided decision.”
Under the law, people who carry a firearm into a restricted space will face three to five years in prison and fines up to $15,000.
Goshen – Spring is just around the corner. Let's enjoy nature and all it has to offer: migrating birds, flowering plants and trees and the upcoming MLB season. Good bye winter.
