CALL TO ACTION on NJ Gun Violence Prevention Bills (You can do this from home.)
To Monmouth Moms Supporters:
As you are probably aware, various gun bills that we are actively supporting are making their way through the NJ State Assembly. Hearings in the Judiciary and Appropriations committees are scheduled for tomorrow.
Although the bills are working through the Assembly, they have NOT been scheduled for hearings or votes in the Senate. As of now, President Steve Sweeney has not yet agreed to move forward on these bills. We are hoping that we can persuade him to bring these bills for a committee hearing soon, possibly on Monday, June 17, and possibly even for a floor vote on June 20. Here's what we need from each of you ASAP, or at least this week!!!
We need all of our active volunteers to CALL the following Senators in order of priority. If you can only make one phone call, call Senate President Sweeney. If you have more time, please call each of the following Senators:
1. Senate President: Senator Stephen Sweeney: 856-251-9801 (West Deptford), 856-339-0808 (Salem) 2. Majority Leader: Senator Loretta Weinberg: 201-928-0100 3. Majority Conference Leader: Senator Vin Gopal: 732-695-3371 4. Law & Public Safety Chairwoman: Senator Linda Greenstein: 609-395-9911 5. Call your own Senator as well and ask them to do all they can to pressure Leadership to schedule these bills! (https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/municipalities.asp)
When you call tell them that you are a NJ resident and you support common sense gun legislation that will save lives here in NJ. Ask them for their support on scheduling the package of Gun Violence Prevention bills as soon as possible. Explain that you would like these bills to be brought for a vote THIS month, and that we cannot afford to wait any longer to fight this epidemic. Remain polite but firm in your ask and thank them for their time. Use your own words. Remember, you will be talking to a staffer who will likely only be tallying calls, please don't feel intimidated. If they ask for your zip code, etc, it's ok that you are out of district as these Senators are in leadership roles and in that role represent the interests of any NJ resident. We need to engage in POSITIVE advocacy. No shaming the Senate President, threatening to vote him out, etc. We have the best chance of influencing him by strongly advocating in a positive way for these bills to be brought for a vote.
If they ask for the specific bills they are as follows (starred bills are our priority): ** S3898 (Enhancing Record Keeping to Aid Investigation and Prosecution of Gun Crimes)** ** S3876 (Strengthening New Jersey’s Firearm Purchase Permit System)** ** A4801-A4805 (Community based violence intervention bills)** S3879 (Deterring Straw Purchasers) S3897 (Expanding the List of Prohibiting Convictions and adding to the ban on “Ghost Guns”) S101 (Modification to Smart Gun Mandate)