Add another New Jersey municipality to the growing roster of local governments that have declared a hard no to the state’s controversial carry permit fee scheme.
West Milford is the 18th city in the Garden State to reject the law requiring concealed carry permit holders to pay $200 for renewal every two years. A full $150 goes directly to the municipality, with the other $50 destined for the state’s coffers.
The open rebellion is not by accident or coincidence.
Gun rights groups encouraged municipalities to protect 2A rights
Rather, it is the result of a coordinated defense of Second Amendment rights by leading advocacy groups.
The National Rifle Association (NRA), the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA), and the New Jersey Firearm Owners Syndicate (NJFOS) launched a campaign to persuade government entities to reject the arbitrary charge and defend personal freedoms.
New Jersey lawmakers defied the Supreme Court with their permitting scheme
According to the NRA, “over half a million dollars in exorbitant and unconstitutional fees paid by applicants across those towns since the law was changed have been eliminated, and with hundreds of thousands of people living in these municipalities, a growing percentage of the population of the state now lives in places free of these financial barriers to exercising a core constitutional right.”
Of course, these fees originated with anti-gun lawmakers throwing a legal tantrum over the Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen decision that recalibrated how the court system treats Second Amendment rights.
New Jersey’s Third Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the state’s cut of the fee in September. This followed numerous cities refunding their share of the cost to gun owners.
This open rebellion against arbitrary and illegal gun rights infringements is yet more proof of the critical responsibility accepted by Second Amendment organizations. They continue to dismantle the egregious gun control apparatus that dominates several states, and New Jersey is only the latest.
There’s no better way to show your patriotism than with merch that speaks before you do.
Defend America is more than a name, it’s a stand for freedom, resilience, and the values this country was built on. Every tee, hat, and mug is a symbol of unapologetic pride. Wear it loud, wear it proud, and let the world know: freedom isn’t negotiable.
Click the link below to join the movement.