Democrats’ politics continues to get in the way of common sense policymaking in Trenton, Save Jerseyans.
Just last week, an Assembly committee advanced A4369, proposed legislation designed to criminalize possessing body armor without a permit. It’s part of a larger Democrat anti-gun push following the Uvalde, Texas school shooting. Sound reasonable? Keep reading. Unfortunately, the Democrat-sponsored bill provides no carve out for popular bulletproof backpacks to which many parents are turning to protect their kids. The sponsors’ definition of “body armor” is extremely broad.
“The bill defines ‘body armor’ as any product sold or offered for sale as personal protective body covering intended to protect against gunfire, regardless of whether the product is to be worn alone or is sold as a complement to another product or garment,” explains the bill’s statement.
The penalty?
“Possessing or purchasing body armor in violation of the bill’s provisions are both crimes of the third degree,” the statement continues. “A third degree crime is punishable by three to five years imprisonment, a fine of up to $15,000, or both.”
That’s right. You could go to jail for FIVE YEARS if the school calls the police and law enforcement subsequently discovers your child’s bulletproof backpack.
Republicans attempted to amend the bill but, as is the custom whenever the minority party stands up for parents, the Democrat majority voted to table the motion:
@GarySchaerNJ bullet-resistant backpacks lined with sewn-in armor is capable of stopping 95% of the gun rounds used in gun-related homicides. Want to take back your No vote yesterday?https://t.co/4cLecAYxai
— Assemblyman Bergen (@votebergen) June 24, 2022
There could also be some other unintended consequences.
At one point during the hearing, Assemblyman Brian Bergen (R-Morris) held up his U.S. Army-issued body armor which he used during his service in the Second Iraq War as an Apache helicopter pilot.
“You’re creating criminals out of Americans who helped defend our very freedom. At one point this served to protect me, but now it serves to potentially put me in jail. Who am I hurting and who are my brothers and sisters in arms hurting?” asked Bergen.
Here’s just a sampling of the pushback from Republican legislators including Bergen (R-25), Kevin Rooney (R-40), and Jay Webber (R-26):
