By The Staff | The Save Jersey Blog

TRENTON, N.J. — On Wednesday, Governor Chris Christie conditionally vetoed two bills and, in so doing, came out swinging in favor of making New Jersey a “shall issue” state.

It’s a move certain to reignite the gun control debate in one of America’s most highly-regulated firearms jurisdictions.

”The right to own a gun is a fundamental one enumerated in the Constitution,” explained Governor Christie. ”I continue to oppose the relentless campaign by the Democratic legislature to make New Jersey as inhospitable as possible to lawful gun ownership and sales. Instead of remaining an outlier with overly burdensome restrictions of questionable constitutionality, New Jersey should follow the lead of the vast majority of states across the country and simplify, not complicate, the ability of responsible citizens, dealers and retailers, to buy, sell and possess firearms as protected by the Second Amendment.”

Christie’s conditional vetoes of two gun control bills passed by New Jersey’s Democrat-dominated legislature would have two effects strongly supported by gun owners:

Enabling New Jersey to join 42 other U.S. states with a ”shall issue” standard for the issuing hand gun permits

Governor Christie wants to eliminate the current “justifiable need” standard; thereafter, anyone not legally disqualified from possessing a firearm (e.g. a minor), and who can demonstrate an understanding of the safe handling of a handgun, would be able to obtain a permit in the Garden State.

“I recommend eliminating the ‘justifiable need’ requirement altogether, which would enable an applicant to obtain a concealed carry permit if that applicant is not otherwise prohibited from obtaining a firearm and can demonstrate familiarity with the safe handling of a handgun,” wrote Christie in his veto of A-3689. “This will enable residents of New Jersey to exercise their Second Amendment rights, while still preventing dangerous persons from legally obtaining firearms.”

Wednesday’s moves are the latest step in what has been a long progression in the pro-2A direction for a GOP politician who, as late as the 1990s, supported certain gun controls including a band on so-called “assault” weapons.

A conditional veto, according to the N.J. legislature’s official glossary of terms, is “[a] veto in which the Governor objects to parts of a bill and proposes amendments that would make it acceptable. If the Legislature re-enacts the bill with the recommended amendments, it is presented again to the Governor for signature.“

Links to both conditional vetoes are below:

S-816/ACS for A-1426 (Weinberg, Codey/Johnson, Vainieri Huttle, Eustace, Wimberly)  CONDITIONAL – Establishes commission to approve personalized handguns; requires firearm retailers to sell handgun

A-3689/S-2165 (Greenwald, Houghtaling, Downey, Mosquera, Lampitt/Weinberg)  CONDITIONAL – Codifies regulations defining justifiable need to carry handgun

The New Jersey Governor and former U.S. Attorney is considered a leading contender for Attorney General of the United States if Donald Trump defeats Hillary Clinton this November.

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