Gov. Christie vetoes another gun control bill

On Monday, New Jersey Governor and presidential candidate Chris Christie rejected a gun control bill that would have required those who were trying to erase their mental health records to notify state and local police before being able to purchase a firearm. The bill, which was supported by both parties in the state Legislature, had received a unanimous approval before landing on Christie’s desk.

The legislation would have required anyone who was currently seeking to expunge their mental health record to purchase a gun had to first notify the State Police, the county prosecutor, and the local police department when petitioning the court. The legislation makes sense after the senseless violence in Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, along with the rash of mass shootings that have plagued this country in the last few years.

Christie’s reasoning for vetoing the bill was because the language was “cumbersome” and had proposed a new standard for the commitment of mental health patients who, if left untreated, could become harmful. But how does this prevent dangerous people from getting guns?

This isn’t the first time the governor had vetoed a gun control bill. In 2014, he vetoed a bill that would reduce the permitted size of ammunition magazines, legislation supported by the families of Sandy Hook victims.

Will the state Legislature overturn Christie’s veto? It’s unlikely but time will tell.

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