Yet another betrayal: The vast majority of Rodney Frelinghuysen’s constituents strongly backs New Jersey’s strict controls on gun ownership. But Frelinghuysen once again put his party bosses first, voting yes on a measure that’s top-priority for the National Rifle Association.

The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act dramatically lowers the bar for carrying concealed guns everywhere in the United States. In bowing to the NRA’s and his Party leaders’ agenda, Frelinghuysen runs roughshod over our own state’s robust gun-safety laws, putting his constituents in peril. The act requires all states to recognize concealed-carry permits valid in any other state. Even from one of the 12  states such as Alaska and Mississippi that require NO permits, NO training whatsoever, and even from states that allow convicted violent stalkers from carrying weapons.

This act compels us to roll out the welcome mat for whoever conceal-carries-- teenagers, people with no safety training, who may never have even fired their weapon, and people with dangerous violent histories from other states to carry hidden loaded guns around our kids, in our restaurants, our sporting events, and our churches.

This legislation ignores both constituents concerns and statistical analysis on effective ways to diminish the plague of gun violence in our country.

The NRA has successfully stifled government research on gun violence prevention, and Frelinghuysen has been consistently complicit in supporting that gag-order in each Appropriation bill for the past 20 years, hoping and praying that the data, analysis and facts will not interfere with gun policy at the federal level.  Despite the difficulties, more long term studies into community gun safety have been completed recently, and their conclusions give the lie to the NRA’s fantasy-based refrain about “a good-guy with a gun.”

• Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Arkansas -- none of which requires a license, registration or permit to buy a gun --  rank within the top 10 for firearm mortalities.
• Violent crime increased year over year in states with Right to Carry Laws rising 14% after 10 years of the new legislation.
• States with the strongest laws had 6.64 fewer deaths per 100,000 residents than the states with the weakest.
• A meta-analysis of 16 studies examined the relationship between firearms and gun deaths. Gun ownership doubled the risk of homicide and tripled the risk of suicide.

The GOP’s actions are a direct assault on the safety of our community, and Frelinghuysen’s support is a complete betrayal of our communities. We at NJ 11th For Change demand leadership that puts our communities' well-being ahead of lobbyists and party. We need our Representatives to be strong and stand up for us.

 NJ 11th for Change