New Jersey Gov. Philip Murphy seeks to dramatically increase the price of permits and licenses needed to buy and carry a firearm in the state, The New York Times reported on Tuesday.
The governor’s budget proposal would hike the cost of the firearm identification card from $5 to $100, the owner’s permit from $2 to $40, and the permit to carry from $20 to $400, resulting in an overall 2,000-percent price increase.
Murphy’s plan would also boost retail gun dealer licenses from $50 to $500, NJ.com reported last month.
“This is clear bullying of law-abiding gun owners in the state,” Cody McLaughlin, spokesman for the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance, told the Times. “You’re talking about sportsmen that are already paying hundreds of dollars a year in license fees.”
However, Murphy said, “There’s no war on responsible gun owners. We can support the efforts of the attorney general, state troopers, county and local law enforcement, to do the stuff we need to do: track crime, track gun violence, combat trafficking of illegal guns," adding the absurdity that currently it is “at least $10 to get a dog license in Jersey City. It’s still $2 to get a permit to purchase a firearm in New Jersey."
New Jersey already has strict gun laws, including an "assault firearms" ban, a prohibition on magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, and carry permits that are "may issue," which means authorities can require citizens to meet certain criteria.
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