Today, the New Jersey Senate is scheduled to vote on Senate Bill 516. This legislation seeks to increase the penalties applied when a minor gains access to a firearm. So-called “safe storage laws” are inherently misguided as they render firearms useless for self-defense by making them inaccessible when seconds matter. S.516 is no exception. If enacted, S.516 could result in the parent of a minor who has accessed their firearm for justified self-defense to be charged with penalties that could include up to three to five years in prison. With the media full of reports of how New Jersey gun control laws continue to ensnare law-abiding gun owners with technicalities rather than prevent criminals from committing crimes, S.516 would just add to a long list of misguided and ill-conceived gun control laws in New Jersey.
It is critical that you call and e-mail your state Senator immediately and strongly urge him or her to vote “NO” on S.516 or request it be amended to fix this oversight.
Contact information for your state Senator can be found here.