N.J. to Lift Temporary Ban on Firearms Sales, Murphy Says

(Bloomberg) -- New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said he was lifting a temporary ban on the sale of guns in the state during the coronavirus crisis.

Speaking Monday at a press conference in Trenton, Murphy said the reversal of his March 21 executive order closing gun stores as non-essential businesses was based on federal guidance. The order had been challenged in a lawsuit by gun rights advocates last week.

In their March 23 lawsuit, plaintiffs including the New Jersey Second Amendment Society said the governor should have designated gun stores as essential businesses.

“The plaintiffs bringing this action do not mean to minimize the severity or urgency of the coronavirus pandemic,” the suit said. “However, this emergency (like any other emergency) has its constitutional limits. It would not justify a prior restraint on speech, nor a suspension of the right to vote. Just the same, it does not justify a ban on obtaining guns and ammunition.”

In Monday’s press conference, Murphy said gun shops will be allowed to conduct sales by appointment. Gun sales will begin again at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Matt Platkin, Murphy’s chief counsel, said.

The governor also said he’d allow auto dealerships to conduct sales remotely. He said a ban on open houses for real estate agents and the closure of golf courses remained in place.

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