Assemblyman Erik Peterson, R-Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren, issued the following statement on today’s Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee hearing:

“There is bipartisan agreement on legislation to examine school security to see what we can do to keep our children safe. That is a reasonable place to begin our legislative response to recent tragedies.

“Approving pieces of legislation that were written in haste without the benefit of a committee of experts to properly consider of their impact – especially when we’re looking at Constitutional rights – may not help us achieve our goal of a safer New Jersey.

“We need to work in bipartisan cooperation on ways to prevent violence, which must go beyond common sense gun safety to include mental health issues and stronger penalties against criminals who misuse firearms.”

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