Now N.J. Democrats want to go after the NRA and gun-friendly states

A protester holds an anti-NRA sign during the March for Our Lives rally on March 24, 2018 in Los Angeles, United States. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)(Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Democratic lawmakers want to take the state's tight gun control laws and expand them outside of New Jersey's borders.

There's new legislation that would ban state-sponsored travel to any states that don't require their residents to obtain a permits before they purchase a firearm.

The goal is to send a message to the National Rifle Association, said State Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, the bill's sponsor.

"Fighting the NRA on the basis logic and rational thinking has not worked," Weinberg, D-Bergen, said. "So I think the thing that might work is fighting them with their pocketbook."

If enacted, state-sponsored travel for public workers and elected officials would be banned in 37 states, according to state licensing data from the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

It's unclear if the legislation would require New Jersey's governor to abide by the rule if it becomes law, Weinberg said. But she said she hopes Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, would "honor it" if it clears the Democrat-controlled state Legislature and he signs it into law.

New Jersey has some of the nation's toughest gun rules. And they are on track  to get even more stringent once a string of bills the Legislature couldn't get passed for eight years under former Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, hit the new governor's desk.

Murphy has promised to sign the bills, including one to reduce magazine capacity, another to ban armor-piercing bullets, another to make it tougher to obtain a permit to carry a handgun, another to expand background checks on private gun sales, and two to keep firearms out of the hands of people deemed a threat to themselves and others in the state.

The NRA didn't respond to a request for comment, but a long-time opponent of New Jersey's gun control measures criticized Weinberg for trying to influence other states' laws.

"The obsession with trying to control the behavior of other states about firearms is an admission that New Jersey already has enough gun laws," Scott Bach, director of the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs, said.

"Senator Weinberg needs to stop obsessing over hardware bans that criminals ignore and only law abiding citizens follow, and instead focus on passing legislation that actually makes people safer," he said.

The 37 that don't require permits to purchase a firearm are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook.

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