Frank Askin, Special to The Record Published 6:13 a.m. ET April 28, 2018
Seized guns on display during a live fire demonstration at the Essex County Police Academy in Cedar Grove on March 5, 2018.(Photo: Chris Monroe/Special to NorthJersey.com)As mass gun violence escalates across the country, New Jersey has thus far remained immune. Just lucky -- or is that status at least a partial result of the state’s rigid gun-control laws?Checking the Internet, there are at least 20 states which have suffered recent mass shootings, with California (18) and Georgia (10) leading the way. But of course California has strict laws like New Jersey, and Georgia has very lax laws. So that comparison is of little value.New Jersey law is specifically tough on obtaining concealed carry permits. Such permits are limited to “persons employed in security work … and others who can establish an urgent necessity for self-protection.”The applicant must submit a detailed explanation to the police chief of the town where s/he resides; an out-of-stater has to apply to the Superintendent of State Police.The police chief then makes a recommendation to a Superior Court Judge, who is the only person who can issue such a permit, which is then valid for two years.But New Jersey’s protection against concealed carry is now threatened by a bill pending in Congress known as the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. Being pushed by the National Rifle Association (NRA), the bill would override state concealed carry laws and permit anyone with a valid permit from another state to carry their weapon in New Jersey.The bill has already passed the House, and is pending in the Senate. An earlier version of the bill received 57 votes in 2013, including seven votes from Democrats. But the bill needed 60 votes
