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In an effort to prevent "straw" gun purchases and curtail the number of weapons in the hands of criminals, Gov. Jon Corzine Thursday signed firearm legislation designed to limit the sale and purchase of handguns in New Jersey.

The bill sets a limitation on the purchase of handguns to one sales transaction per individual in a 30-day period.

"Violent crime and the proliferation of handguns is an epidemic being fought in every state in our nation," Corzine said at a bill-signing ceremony at Trenton City Hall. "While we are winning some important battles against violent crime, we must remain aggressive in combating illegal possession, use and trafficking of firearms in New Jersey. The bill that I am signing into law is aimed at cutting off the supply of weapons to career criminals and protecting the rights of our law-abiding citizens."

New Jersey joins California, Maryland and Virginia, as the only states that limit the number of handguns that may be purchased within a certain calendar period.

Under the New Jersey legislation, licensed retail firearms dealers are prohibited from selling more than one handgun within a calendar-month period to a person with a handgun purchase permit.

A buyer or seller who violates the "one-gun-a-month" statute would be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree, punishable by imprisonment of up to 18 months, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.

"This is not about penalizing law abiding gun owners,'' said Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex). "It's about stemming the flow of illegal guns on our streets, keeping them out of the hands of gang members and drug dealers, and protecting innocent children and families.''

"This legislation is about reducing gun violence and saving lives," said Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex), a key sponsor of the bill. "The effects of illegal gun violence and the wounds it causes are far-reaching in that they not only touch victims, but also families and communities as a whole. This law is a significant step in the right direction toward reducing the number of illegal, unlicensed guns on the streets and increasing safety for the people of this state."

"There's no good reason why anyone would need to purchase large quantities of handguns all at once," said Assemblywoman Joan Quigley (D-Hudson), also a key sponsor. "Providing criminals and gang leaders one-stop shopping to outfit themselves with weapons is the obvious implication of bulk handgun purchasing. It defies logic to think anyone would need to purchase two, five, or 20 handguns in a short period of time. Restricting handgun purchases to one a month will help control the spread of guns that wind up on the street and in the hands of criminals."

Earlier this week, Corzine and Attorney General Anne Milgram announced a statewide decline in homicides, due in part, they said, to a violence reduction initiative that has resulted in more than 4,200 arrests over a 14-month time period.

In July, Corzine supported the defeat of legislation in the U.S. Senate that would have permitted gun owners with concealed-carry permits issued by states with lax laws to carry concealed firearms in other states with much stricter laws. New Jersey has among the strictest concealed-carry laws in the nation.

"This new legislation is not an anti-gun measure: it is an anti-violence measure," Corzine said. "We must not rest, we must not equivocate, while the threat of gun violence remains on New Jersey streets."

The three Republican legislators who represent Sussex County were not happy with Corzine's action.

Assembly menebers Gary Chiusano andAlison Littell McHose, and Sen. Steve Oroho expressed their concern over what they see as legislation that restricts the exercise of a basic constitutional right.

"This premise of this law is a fallacy," Chiusano said. "Many New Jersey residents have to wait upwards of 100 days to obtain a pistol permit. So after passing background checks, getting fingerprinted, and paying fees to obtain the permit, which are only valid for 90 days anyway, government is now telling people they can only purchase one handgun in a 30 day window after going through all of this bureaucracy. This bill is pure symbolism."

– TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM