(VOORHEES) – Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald on Thursday strongly condemned House Rule 38, which amends federal criminal code to allow an individual to carry a concealed handgun in another state.
“By creating concealed carry reciprocity, Congress is putting Americans at risk. Over the past decade our nation has seen an epidemic of gun violence, from the mass shooting in Las Vegas to the massacre at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando,” said Greenwald (D-Camden/Burlington). “Proactive stances on gun violence help make America safe, and this change will do nothing but make our neighborhoods and communities more dangerous for families.”
Greenwald has been an advocate for gun safety since meeting with the families of Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2013 after their devastating losses. That year, he introduced a 21-bill package, including lowering gun magazine capacity, enhancing penalties for gun trafficking offenses and establishing a regulatory system for the sale of ammunition.
“The loss of 20 children and 6 teachers impacted our nation and strengthened my resolve to protect our communities from gun violence. I am at a loss that anyone would want to put our nation at risk of another tragedy like this,” Greenwald said.
House Rule 38 provides a means by which nonresidents of a state whose residents may carry concealed firearms may also do so in the state. This legislation was introduced by Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-8) in January, and Congressman Tom MacArthur (NJ-3) is a cosponsor of this legislation.
Right-to-Carry laws have been proven ineffective in keeping populations safe. In a paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, researchers learned that states with RTC laws had violent crime rates 13 to 15 percent higher post-passage relative to normal crime patterns.
“Here in New Jersey we have worked to reduce the number of deaths by gun violence, and I am appalled by the steps taken today in Washington to put our nation at risk,” Greenwald said.
