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***MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE*** Mosquera on Republican Refusal to Override Christie Veto to Protect Victims of Domestic Violence

(TRENTON) — Assembly Women and Children Committee Vice-Chair Gabriela M. Mosquera (D-Gloucester) issued a multimedia package Thursday reacts to the refusal of Assembly Republicans to override Governor Christie’s veto of legislation that would better protect victims of domestic violence.

Mosquera is herself a survivor of domestic violence.

Republicans failed to support overriding Gov. Christie’s veto of legislation (A-4218) that would enhance protections for victims of domestic violence by requiring attackers to surrender their firearms while domestic violence restraining orders are in effect or when they are convicted of a domestic violence crime or offense.

Among the changes proposed by Christie was a provision to make it quicker and easier for domestic violence victims to purchase a gun.

The multimedia package consists of Assemblywoman Mosquera’s remarks on the veto override attempt and audio and a transcript of same.

The video can be accessed directly via our website — www.assemblydems.com — or by clicking here.

The audio file is available upon request.

A transcript of the assemblywoman’s comments is appended below:

Assemblywoman Gabriela M. Mosquera (D-Gloucester), Assembly Woman and Children Committee Vice-Chair:
“This bill is very personal to me. My mom is a survivor of domestic violence. I’m a child survivor of domestic violence. I have been impacted by it. And to know that the Republicans did not stand up for victims of domestic violence it’s… it’s a very sad day for me.

“My colleagues chose to protect the rights of a gun owner over the rights of a woman. And for me, that’s appalling. Actually, it’s more than appalling, that’s actually it’s very disgusting. That the value of a woman doesn’t mean anything, but the value of gun ownership is more.

“And we have done absolutely nothing. We didn’t change the status quo at all. We had an opportunity to do something and we didn’t do it, and that’s, for me, it’s appalling and absolutely disgusting. And, as a woman, I’m completed offended.

“And I’m not going to give up, even though the override did not succeed. We’re going to make sure that we have other opportunities, and I’ll be speaking to my colleagues and I hope that next time around it will succeed. And it is my job as a legislator to make sure that my colleagues understand what these victims go through, day in and day out and how important this bill is to them.”