LD 10 STATE ASSEMBLY CANDIDATES DELLA VOLLE & WHEELER COMMEND SIGNING OF NEW NJ GUN SAFETY LAWS

BRICK, NJ (Aug. 5, 2019) – Eileen Della Volle and Erin Wheeler, the Democratic candidates for the New Jersey State Assembly’s 10^th Legislative District, released the following statement in response to the signing of new gun violence prevention measures by Lt. Gov. Shelia Oliver.

“We commend Gov. Phil Murphy and Lt. Gov. Shelia Oliver for continuing to support and sign common sense gun safety violence prevention legislation to protect the residents of New Jersey from the scourge of gun violence plaguing the country.

The new laws approved by Gov. Murphy and signed into law today by Lt. Gov. Oliver address the urgent need to provide support and services to the victims and survivors of gun violence, and to provide gun violence intervention at New Jersey hospitals.

We are very proud and grateful to live in New Jersey, where we continue to work to protect our residents from gun violence. According to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, New Jersey has the second-toughest gun safety laws in the country and one of the lowest gun-death rates in the nation. The Giffords Law Center has found an overwhelming correlation between state gun safety laws and gun death rates. We are proud that New Jersey’s efforts have earned it an “A” on the Giffords Center gun laws score card.

As the media has reported, the mass shootings in Texas and Ohio this weekend, coming one week after a mass shooting in California, has brought the number of mass shootings in the United States so far in 2019 to 250. However, as we also know, mass shootings are only part of the gun violence story. Suicides by gun far outnumber gun violence homicides and the presence of a gun increases the likelihood of a domestic violence incident resulting in a fatality.

Six in ten Americans support common sense gun safety legislation. Until the Republicans in Washington decide to represent their constituents, and not the gun lobby, it falls to state governments to protect its citizens. It is crucial our representatives in Trenton are committed to protecting the people of New Jersey from gun violence and continue to do so. Today, New Jersey continued to lead the nation in combatting the national tragedy of gun violence.”