Assembly announces gun violence prevention bills

TRENTON - The New Jersey Assembly planned to act quickly on 20 gun-violence prevention bills that Democrats unveiled Friday, as 300 gun-rights advocates held a Second Amendment rally in dreary weather outside the Statehouse.

The package of proposals announced by the Democratic-led Assembly would restrict ammunition sales, require firearms-safety training, and make it tougher for some to obtain gun permits. The bills also address mental-health treatment and enhanced gun safety.

"Whether it's the streets of our New Jersey communities, a movie theater in Colorado, or an elementary school in Connecticut, enough is enough is enough," said Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D., Essex). "No more talk. It's time for action."

New Jersey gun laws are among the nation's toughest. But the speaker promised that her chamber would lead on gun violence by enacting measures that do more to protect residents. Democrats can get the bills passed even if no Republicans support them.

It's not clear where the Republican caucus stands on the issue. Its most conservative member, Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll, who represents Morris County, was among two legislators who spoke at the gun-rights rally. The other was Sen. Michael Doherty, who represents parts of Hunterdon, Somerset, and Warren Counties.

"I want you to know there's a number of us in the Legislature that do agree with you 100 percent, and we're going to be fighting every step of the way to protect your constitutional rights, law-abiding citizens taking care of their families, taking care of their homes," Doherty told the overwhelmingly male crowd, a handful of whom had brought their children.

Amid the crowd of gun advocates, some carried signs that read: "We're good guys with a gun," "If guns kill people, cars cause drunk driving," and "No guns = tyranny."

Gov. Christie declined an invitation to address the rally, citing a scheduling conflict. His staff said he was attending meetings outside Trenton in the morning but planned to be in the Statehouse later in the day.

The governor has refused to say whether he supports stricter gun laws. Christie created a task force to study gun-related violence after the Newtown, Conn., school massacre. He also has called for better treatment options for people with mental illness but has not been specific.

Democratic Sen. Barbara Buono, who is running for governor, has called on Christie to take a position on gun control.

Assembly Democratic Leader Louis Greenwald of Camden County said it should not take a tragedy like that in Connecticut to make people aware of gun violence, given that 269 New Jerseyans were killed by guns in 2011.

"The time to get serious about protecting our children, our law enforcement officers, and our communities from gun violence is long overdue," he said. "Our comprehensive package of legislation promotes commonsense gun-safety measures, including keeping dangerous weapons off our streets, cracking down on illegal gun trafficking, addressing New Jersey's mental-health crisis, and ending the culture of violence."

The Assembly bills will be considered in committee Wednesday, and voted on by the full house Feb. 21.