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-Land of the Free
New Jersey Backs Down on Gun-Store Closures
2020-04-01
[Free Beacon] New Jersey gun stores will reopen after Democrat governor Phil Murphy abandoned an attempted statewide shutdown stemming from the coronavirus outbreak.

On Monday, Murphy said the stores will be able to operate "by appointment only and under limited hours" during the duration of his emergency shutdown order. The move came two days after the federal government updated its essential business guidance to include gun stores, ranges, and manufacturers. Murphy said he disagreed with the nonbinding guidance issued by the Department of Homeland Security but would follow its prescriptions.

"In accordance with the guidance released over the weekend by the federal Department of Homeland Security, we will allow firearms retailers to operate," Murphy said during a Monday press conference. "It wouldn’t have been my definition, but that’s the definition at the federal level, and I didn’t get a vote on that."

Murphy's initial order closed not only businesses, but the state's background check system, making it effectively impossible to purchase legal firearms in the state. His reversal may signal an end to the debate over whether gun stores should be considered "essential" businesses as states enact stay-at-home orders to combat the pandemic. Pennsylvania and Delaware have also reversed bans. Texas told cities and counties within the state on Friday that gun stores are "essential" and cannot be closed.
Posted by:Besoeker

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