Gov. Murphy signs 6 new gun control laws, flanked by Parkland survivor

Gov. Phil Murphy signed six new gun control measures into law Wednesday and he did it with a survivor of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting by his side.
Alfonson Calderon stood by the governor as the governor signed new laws that now make New Jersey a state with some of the strongest gun control laws.
“New Jersey stands with you, Alfonso, with the members of your fallen classmates and educators and together we say, ‘Never again,’” Murphy said.
One bill signed Wednesday is dubbed the “Extreme risk bill.” It mandates that police seize the guns of anyone deemed a threat by a mental health professional.
There are tighter restrictions on who can carry a weapon; a ban on armor-piercing bullets; a bill requiring all private gun sales to go through a dealer who does background checks; and a law lowering the maximum number of rounds in a magazine from 15 to 10.
Under the new law, gun owners who are currently in possession of magazines holding 15 rounds have 180 days to surrender them or face possible penalties.
The governor repeatedly cited statistics that show that 80 percent of gun crimes in the Garden State are committed with weapons purchased out of state. Murphy vowed to make New Jersey a leader in the push for tougher gun laws nationwide.
“Smart, comprehensive and common sense gun safety laws will do much more to keep our communities safe, than the guns on every street corner and guns in every classroom-thinking of the gun lobby,” Murphy said.
But gun rights advocates say that the new laws will only make things tougher for law-abiding gun owners, particularly ones who already own guns that use magazines with 15 rounds. The advocates say that the new laws will do very little to rein in the illegal possession and use of guns.
“Otherwise law-abiding New Jersey citizens have been turned into criminals by a stroke of the governor's pen,” said gun advocate Evan Nappen.
Four of the laws will go into effect immediately. The law requiring background checks for private sales will go into effect Oct. 1. The “Extreme risk bill” will go into effect Sept. 1.