New Jersey is going to be so screwed when Christie leaves office, it’s not even funny. Dems are looking to impose onerous regulations on shooting ranges in New Jersey with the aim to prevent suicides. This is not about preventing suicides, it’s about destroying the gun culture in New Jersey.
Every gun owner would be required to present NJ firearms credentials to the owner or operator of a range before being allowed to use their own firearms on that range, every time they use the range. What if you’re from out of state? Sorry. What if the club doesn’t have staff to check credentials? Too bad.
I won’t take a firearm into New Jersey, even legally. But I know people who compete over there. This will effectively end that if they don’t have a non-resident FID card (which is really a good idea to have if you’re going to be transporting firearms in New Jersey).
Shooting activity could only occur where staff exists to check credentials. Unstaffed ranges would lose members (because members wouldn’t be allowed to shoot there), many clubs would be forced to close.
This would essentially close every club in New Jersey. It would make it impossible to bring new shooters into the sports, since they would essentially need to apply for and receive an FID card before they could even try it out. This would destroy the shooting culture in New Jersey, and that’s exactly what it’s intended to do. Suicide prevention is a ruse. Christie has shown a willingness to veto legislation like this, and will probably continue to do so as long as he’s in office, but it’s going to be hell to pay if Christie is replaced with an anti-gun Democrat.
Thanks for bringing this up. And for those of you who think “oh, it’s NJ, it doesn’t matter,” what happens when Bloomberg takes this show on the road?
And don’t say “Well my state doesn’t have a FOID card.”
The bill (or ballot initiative) could simply replace FOID card with CCW permit.
Yep, because SAFETY!
And then why not take the common-sense, reasonable step of allowing CLEOs discretion over who can and cannot get a CCW permit (effectively making any “shall-issue” system into “may-issue”), so that people who shouldn’t carry and shoot guns can’t (legally) carry and shoot guns?
Y’know, because SAFETY!
Doesn’t take much – look at the way Philly (allegedly) will revoke a CCW as “not in the public interest” at the least opportunity, such as with parking tickets.
(I’d like to be disproved on that, actually)
A FOID is easy to get. I had one at one time. If CCW were that easy, I’d probably have one of those too.
IL FOID, or NJ FPID? The card in NJ doesn’t permit (one way or another) ownership of a firearm, it permits purchase of a longarm (or, lately, handgun ammo). Which is probably a misconception the introducer of this legislation is laboring under. (Firearms Purchaser ID card)
It’s also not THAT easy to get ahold of. You need fingerprints, you need to visit your local LEO office (or NJSP barracks, if you haven’t got a local LOE office). You submit a form and a small stack of money. And then you wait, and wait, and wait.
I’m several standard deviations from the mean on this one. If someone wants out of this existence, I don’t see where the rest of us get any say whatsoever.
We don’t, and it’s shockingly easy to find ways to end one’s own life, with or without firearms.
That’s why this proposed legislation’s “purpose” — to reduce suicides — is disingenuous at best. On the one hand, “method substitution” is a real thing with suicides; if guns are made unavailable, people will use something else. On the other hand, you don’t exactly need a great degree of marksmanship or safety training with firearms if suicide is the end goal. And on the shooting hand, how many people go to a shooting range to commit suicide, rather than do it at home?
More than you might think. It’s not that uncommon for ranges to not rent to someone who comes in alone for that reason. Not saying it justifies this insane law, but if you are on ranges it is something to keep an eye open for.
Mostly it was because that is where the guns are. Here in CA, if you show up alone and want to rent a gun, you have to bring your own gun along to prove you aren’t intending to use theirs to off yourself.
Doesn’t stop them entirely. One couple showed up to rent guns at my local range, to use them in a suicide pact. Couple shots downrange, turn and point at each other, and b-bang!
Also, at various times the waiting period to pick up your gun was as high as 20 days. I think it is 10 days now.
For the last 20+ years, you have to pass a test, and pay a fee, to get certified to buy a handgun.
What do you supposed the count is? Dozens? Out of 40,000…
We hear about it because it’s news. To make news it has to be rare. When people commit suicide at home it’s not news.
Our local range just had a suicide recently. The Guy checked in, rented a pistol, hearing and eye protection, signed up for a gun safety course, then blew his brains out when he entered the lane. So I would say at least one.
It’s a good thing his eyes and ears weren’t damaged.
I wonder if anyone has asked these morons if they approve of Advanced Medical Directives / Do Not Resuscitate.
Because all those are is a legal decision to commit suicide rather than live under a given set of conditions.
Wow I hate my state. I won’t be here much longer.
My club uses a key-card system and doesn’t have any employees. So we would be out of business.
All the local police forces use our ranges to practice and qualify. Guess they would be shit out of luck too.
Oh, the police will be exempted from the credentials requirement because they can be trusted not to off themselves on the range and are immune from the “Kill Me!” rays emitted by the gun because of the shielding in their uniforms.
Except the range will have to close. So even the police are affected.
Pedantic remark (automatically generated):
A hyphen would make the lede much more understandable – “Culture-Killing”.
https://anjrpc.site-ym.com/page/RangeBillsPulled
BREAKING: Range Bills PULLED From Monday Agenda!
December 2, 2016:
After several days of gun owner outcry and subsequent dialogue with the bill sponsor, Assemblyman Ralph Caputo (D28) has graciously agreed to hold A4179/A4180 to allow for continued discussion to address gun owner concerns.
We also appreciate the assistance of Assembly Law & Public Safety Committee Chairman Daniel Benson (D14) in fostering an environment that will allow meaningful consideration of gun owner concerns.
And thank YOU for speaking out and making gun owner voices heard.
Please spread the word and make sure our fellow defenders of the Second Amendment know there will be no hearing on these bills on Monday, Dec 5.
Further updates will follow as the situation develops.