The U.S. Senate last weekend reached a bipartisan deal on gun safety legislation. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul last week signed the most sweeping package of gun control bills in nine years. But in New Jersey, even scheduling votes in the legislature on eight bills that seek to address gun violence is proving to be a political slog.
New Jersey lawmakers, who often lead the nation in passing gun safety laws, have barely moved on eight bills currently before them as New York and even the U.S. Senate reached deals in the wake of recent mass shootings.
Senate President Nicholas Scutari, who became the state senate’s top legislator in January, is the focus of gun control activists’ attention -- and blame -- for holding up a package of bills that Governor Phil Murphy began pushing for 14 months ago. On Tuesday, New Jersey Moms Demand Action held a rally outside his legislative office.
“In spite of everything that’s happening in New Jersey, in spite of everything that’s happening nationwide, and no matter where the opposition is coming from, we want to make sure that Senate President Scutari posts the bills [for votes], and we don’t understand why that wouldn’t be possible,” said Raisa Rubin-Stankiewicz, a lead state organizer for March For Our Lives.
“It is necessary to take action now. There is no time to waste.”
While the bills have also not come for a vote in the state Assembly, the leader of that chamber, Speaker Craig Coughlin, stood with Murphy in December in support of the bills. His spokeswoman, Cecilia Williams, said in an email that the Assembly is working through the proposals: “The strength of New Jersey’s comprehensive common sense gun safety laws continues to be important to the speaker.”
But in the senate, Scutari’s spokesman only pointed to a statement last month after the Uvalde school massacre, in which Scutari said he “will keep an open mind” on bills to reduce gun violence. Scutari did not respond to a text message seeking additional comment.
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