WASHINGTON — “Throw’em into prison for five years” is what New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez wants for any out-of-state concealed carry permit holder who enter his state with a firearm.
“People violate our law — we are a state that has decided that we are against concealed carry weapons. We have stronger gun laws. We believe we have made the states safer as that,” Menendez told The Daily Caller Thursday. “They violate our laws, then whatever is the law, and they are found guilty of it, they should pay the consequence.”
When pressed about travelers with concealed carry permits who may be detoured into his state by accident, he replied: “They know what our state’s law is. They should know what our state law is if they want to carry a concealed weapon. I don’t think that they just simply get detoured and they should think in advance when they are traveling.”
He continued, “I find it amazing that Republicans who believe in state rights all of a sudden have a problem observing the state rights of those states that think that stronger gun laws is the way to protect citizens and that’s what I have to say about it.”
New Jersey has some of the most stringent gun laws in the country. Its state troopers are known to pull over drivers and question them on whether they are carrying concealed firearms.
Brian Fletcher, a North Carolina resident, was arrested by New Jersey law enforcement in 2015 after he was pulled over and told police he had a handgun in his truck, according to NJ.com.
In 2013, Shaneen Allen, a Pennsylvania mom, was arrested near Atlantic City after telling New Jersey law enforcement who pulled her over she had a firearm that was considered legal in her home state.
New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie later pardoned Allen, but the incoming Democratic New Jersey governor Phil Murphy seems ready to do away with such a practice for any out-of-state concealed carry permit holder convicted being in his state with a firearm.
“We might as well post a sign at the New Jersey border saying, ‘Welcome to New Jersey, you’re under arrest.'” Alexander Roubian, president of the New Jersey Second Amendment Society, told NJ.com
