on August 01, 2015 at 8:45 PM, updated August 02, 2015 at 9:03 AM
WATERLOO, Iowa — Campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination Saturday, Gov.
Chris Christie said he'll likely pardon several out-of-staters legally permitted to carry their firearms in their home states who have been recently arrested in New Jersey under the Garden State's tough gun laws.
Elizabeth J. Griffith, of Daytona Beach, Fla., was arrested by U.S. Park Police on July 14 during a visit to Liberty State Park in Jersey City and charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. She could face a ten year prison sentence because her Florida state-issued permit to carry a handgun is
not recognized by New Jersey.
"We've done it right from the beginning," said Christie, "and we'll continue do it."...
...Christie said he supported introducing a firearm permit reciprocity law that would honor out-of-state gun carry permits, but didn't expect the Democratic-controlled legislature to cooperate.
"I think the law is wrong," said Christie. "We need to be smarter about the way we do this. What I don't want is for folks to feel like they can't come into our state, and be able to travel through it, or visit it, and have to make sure they go on the Internet and look up exactly how you're supposed to be dealing with the gun laws."
Christie referred to Brian Fletcher, a North Carolina man volunteering to make emergency, storm-related utility repairs in Mercer County who is facing possible prison time for a felony gun charge after telling a police officer in Hamilton that he had a handgun in his vehicle.
"We have this gentleman who we're considering right now for pardon, from North Carolina who was up here, helping New Jersey after the storm to repair cell towers," said Christie. "This is just not the right way to do these things. This was not a guy who was a threat to anybody."...
...Reached by NJ Advance Media by phone, state Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union), said Christie was right: Senate Democrats do not support loosening the state's gun laws, which are among the toughest in the nation.
"I'm not going to prejudge this Florida woman's case," said Lesniak. "Does she deserve a pardon? Probably. But we shouldn't open the floodgates and model New Jersey's gun laws on Alabama's. The system works."