Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill Commends NJ Lawmakers on Concealed Carry Gun Safety Legislation

As chairman of the Essex County Board of Commissioners Anti-Gun Violence Committee, I want to commend the New Jersey lawmakers who courageously voted for legislation that will help New Jersey protect its citizens from the U. S. Supreme Court’s dangerous and irresponsible ruling expanding the concealed carrying of firearms. I want to equally commend Gov. Phil Murphy’s resolve to sign this legislation. At a time when gun violence is the leading cause of death of American children, we cannot shrink from this fight or hide behind the fear that the fight is too difficult. We must be prepared and resolved to fight even harder. The primary responsibility of an elected official, at all levels of government, is to protect the safety of our constituents. While mass shootings drive the discussion about gun safety, the majority of gun deaths result simply from a gun being present –domestic violence situations, suicides, improperly stored guns falling into the hands of children, everyday disputes between neighbors or strangers. New Jersey has the third lowest rate of gun violence in the country because we have some of the most effective gun safety measures in place. We must keep it that way. Thank you to the sponsors of this legislation: Assm. Joe Danielsen; Assm. Louis D.  Greenwald, Majority Leader; Assmw. Mila M. Jasey; Assm. John F.  McKeon; Assmw. Ellen J. Park; Assmw. Annette Chaparro; Senate President Nicholas P. Scutari, Sen. Linda R. Greenstein; Co-sponsor, Sen. Gordon M. Johnson.