New Jersey becomes first state to require 'smart guns'

New Jersey Online ^ | 12/23/02 1:14 PM | PETER SAHARKO

[bvw]

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- New Jersey has become the first state in nation to enact a law requiring all new handguns sold to have a mechanism that allows only their owners to fire them.

Gov. James E. McGreevey signed a bill Monday requiring "smart gun" technology, but the requirement will not go into effect immediately because the technology is still under development and it could be years before it becomes a reality.

"This is common sense legislation. There are safety regulations on cars, on toys. It's clearly time we have safety regulations on handguns," McGreevey said at Monday's signing ceremony.

The New Jersey Institute of Technology is developing a smart gun prototype that would use sensors on the pistol grip to identify a user.

The owner would have his grip programmed at a gun shop or police range by practice-firing the weapon. A microchip in the weapon would remember the grip and determine in an instant whether the authorized user was holding the weapon. If not, the gun would not fire.

Under the New Jersey law, the technology will be required in all new handguns sold three years after the state attorney general determines a smart gun prototype is safe and commercially available.

Supporters say the law will help prevent accidental gun deaths and suicides.

But opponents argued that it makes little sense to legislate about a technology that does not yet exist and have raised questions about its reliability.

"No technology is foolproof," said Nancy Ross, spokeswoman for the Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Clubs. "Anyone who has a computer knows how many times it crashes."

[Tribune7]

What this legislation means is that for the first time in history an inanimate piece of metal is smarter than the majority of a state's voters.

[Jhoffa_]

That's fine.. Bring it on.

The first thing el "smart gun" needs is a brain transplant.

We have the technology..

[Spiritus Gladius]

From Microsoft? Oh, dear God ... point, click, blue screen, "Excuse me Mr. Criminal, can you wait a minute? I need to reboot my gun."

[Brimack34]

I like the smart politician part. What about if your not home and your wife is, do you both have too have a gun. What about if your friend is there or your son or daughter. Does everyone have too have a gun?

[2nd_Amendment_Defender]

Trenton, New Jersey is a site where, over two hundred years ago, the Revolutionary War took a turn for freedom under the command of George Washington. How ironic that the people of this place now seem to hate the very freedoms that were won there.

[steamroller]

A smart gun is one which only shoots leftist traitors.

[Puppage]

Let's pass a law that says all new cars must get a million miles to the gallon..even though the technology doesn't exist. Or, how about we do away with cars altogether & just use the transporters?

[Bernard]

Actually, the governor's body guards should be the test market for this new technology. In a democracy, there should be no food-tasters.

[George W. Bush]

Cool.

Now we hack freebie Internet terminals, Tivos, Xboxes, satellite/cable, you name it.

Soon we'll be able to hack firearms.

The future is bright for hacking.

[George W. Bush]

Gut feeling is that gun manufacturers will just write off New Jersey instead.

Maybe the point of this exercise in futility.

The pols can claim to be pro-gun safety and not opposed to gun ownership while they instead merely enact laws that effectively prevent gun ownership or use for personal defense.

I wonder what crime stats are in Jersey in recent years with these bozos in charge.

[Darksheare]

I agree. Only happens when lunacy is lauded as genius.

[Darksheare]

They also have no concept of "The state budget is due BEFORE such and such date". (New York. Evry year, Sheldon Silver and his moron Kabal play budget games, for an ungodly amount of time, the state budget has been consecutively late.)