TRENTON -- The state Legislature announced Monday that it has moved to block Gov. Chris Christie's order lowering the bar for Garden State residents to prove a justifiable need for a handgun.

The Democratic-controlled Legislature filed suit in the appellate division of state Superior Court on Friday challenging the validity of a Christie administration rule expanding standard for issuing handgun carry permits. The rules are designed to make it easier to carry a handgun.

The move was expected.

In its filing, the Legislature asked the court to block the administration's regulations from taking effect pending the outcome of the case.

Last month, Christie's attorney general, Christopher Porrino, announced his office had formally adopted the April 2016 recommendations of the governor's panel on firearms and would now consider any "serious threat" against the life of a New Jersey citizen as meeting the legal requirement for a "justifiable need" for a carry permit.

Shortly after, the Legislature voted to support the legal action with a resolution sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald (D-Camden) and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson).

A spokesman for the governor declined to comment, but referred a reporter's inquiries to Christie's earlier remarks on the topic.

On his call-in radio show "Ask the Governor" last month, Christie said of the Democrats, "they're wrong, and we'll fight them."

He went on to say the legislature's concurrent resolution was "procedurally deficient and substantively incorrect," and that he expected to prevail in any legal challenge.

On Monday, Alexander Roubian, the president of the New Jersey Second Amendment Society exoressed disgust but not shock at the lawmakers.

"We expect nothing less from Statists who don't respect the sanctity of an individual's life and safety," said Roubian. "We challenge all New Jersey Democrats to disarm the Statehouse and their personal bodyguards until they give New Jerseyans the same protection."



Claude Brodesser-Akner may be reached at cbrodesser@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ClaudeBrodesser. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.