New Jersey Continues to Lead Nation in Gun Safety Laws, Earning an “A” Rating From Giffords Law Center

NJDSC Chairman applauds Governor Murphy and Democratic legislators for their work to curb the epidemic of gun violence

TRENTON, NJ – The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence released the latest edition of its Annual Gun Law Scorecard, which grades and ranks each state on its gun laws, and the Garden State is ranked at the top of the class. New Jersey was only one of two states to receive an “A” grade. Under the leadership ofGovernor Phil Murphy and Democrats in the state legislature, New Jersey has enacted numerous gun safety reforms, including strengthening of concealed carry licensing standards, enacting a gun industry accountability law, restricting guns in sensitive areas, and strengthening laws restricting ghost guns. Data from Giffords shows that states with stronger gun laws have lower gun death rates and save more lives.

“New Jersey Democrats, led by Governor Murphy, have worked hard to enact strong gun safety laws designed to keep our communities safe, yet, despite a majority of Americans supporting stricter gun laws, the Republican Party continues to pander to the gun lobby in return for campaign cash,” said NJDSC Chairman, LeRoy J. Jones Jr. “The facts are clear: wherever we see stronger gun safety laws, we see fewer gun deaths. Instead of trying to prevent gun deaths, New Jersey Republicans keep trying  to weaken laws that are working in New Jersey. They want more guns on the street, which has only proven to lead to more gun violence. Democrats will proudly continue to fight for legislation that is proven to prevent and address the epidemic of gun violence that we are experiencing across our country.”

• Scorecard: Learn more about New Jersey’s ranking by visiting this year’s Scorecard.

• Fact Sheet: Read more about how gun violence impacts New Jersey.

Even now, New Jersey Republicans are trying to weaken the gun safety laws meant to keep New Jersey communities safe from gun violence including introducing legislation that would make it easier for people to have access to deadlier and more dangerous assault weapons and ammunition, requesting $1 million in taxpayer funds to create high school gun clubs, decriminalizing the sale of armor-piercing ammunition, eliminating gun magazine capacity limits, and seeking several other extreme measures straight out of the NRA playbook.

In 2021, the most recent year for which CDC gun death rates are available, more than 116 people died each day from gun violence, resulting in nearly 49,000 total gun deaths and there have already been 136 mass shootings in America just this year. Requiring background checks and gun owner licensing, funding community violence intervention programs, and passing extreme risk protection order laws, among other laws, are all policies that can reverse the growing gun epidemic in this country.