Rible: No Public Release Of Handgun Owners' Names
State Assemblyman wants to bar publication of handgun owners' information following New York paper's move to publish 30,000 names and addresses
State Assemblyman David Rible says he wants to prevent the public release of handgun permit holders' personal information and plans to introduce a bill that would do just that, according to a release.
Rible, R-Monmouth, said Monday that he plans to introduce a bill barring from the public the names of New Jersey residents who hold a handgun permits after a New York newspaper published the names and addresses of tens of thousands of permit holders about two weeks ago.
The Journal News in White Plains, NY, published the article, “The Gun Owner Next Door: What You Don’t Know About the Weapons in Your Neighborhood,” which published the names and addresses of more than 30,000 handgun permit holders in Westchester and Rockland counties. The article, which obtained the names and addresses from publicly available documents, also contained a map of the handgun permit holders.
The paper received widespread criticism for the move, and when the outrage became threatening, it hired armed guards to protect its main office and a bureau. Employees who felt unsafe at home were offered hotel rooms, at the paper’s expense.
“I’m very concerned that what I think this does is set up a blueprint for people to find out who has what kinds of guns and where they live,’’ Rible said. “It’s a major public security problem.’’
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UPDATE: Rible appeared Tuesday morning on CNN’s Newsroom program, talking about his support for banning the release gun owner information. He was interviewed for about 5 minutes by CNN anchor Carol Costello.
“I don’t want to see us in New Jersey creating a blueprint for criminals to go out and find these guns,’’ Rible said. “Everyone’s talking about getting guns off the streets, by releasing this information I think you’re actually putting more guns on the streets.’’
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The Journal News article, it should be noted, published the names and addresses of handgun permit holders. Holding a permit does not necessarily mean each owns a gun.
Rible said he was coordinating with New York state GOP Senator Greg Ball, who has called the Journal News’ move a “nightmare’’ and urged people to cancel their subscriptions to the paper. Ball’s office is also crafting legislation barring the publication of gun owners’ information. Rible said he hoped to have a draft bill ready by the end of the week.
“Maybe we can actually have two states on the same page,’’ Rible said.
Rible said that the publication of handgun permit holders could be helpful to criminals looking for guns and could be used as an easy means to track down the home addresses of police, who are among those licensed to carry handguns.
“Making this information available in the newspaper essentially provides a blueprint for criminals looking for guns,” Rible said. “I think that information should be available only to law enforcement.”
Rible compared the availability of gun owners’ information to that of lottery winners.
In December, the Assembly unanimously passed a bill that would allow state lottery winners to keep their identities private for up to one year. The state lottery commission, a state agency, collects the names and addresses of lottery winners, which are considered public records. The bill has not yet been taken up by the Senate.
“It’s okay to win the lottery and remain anonymous, but not for gun owners,’’ Rible said. “It doesn’t seem right.”
TERRY DOMINO
6:35 am on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
...and it is because of the attitudes of Assemblyman Rible and others in the statehouse like him - that many NJ residents will be marching in Trenton on 4/15/2013. The NRA (National Ridiculous Asses) obviously have Mr. Rible in their back pocket - so very sad that they care more about the profits of fun manufacturers than public safety.
type writer
11:08 am on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
You're a buffoon.
jerseyswamps
4:04 am on Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Terry, I do not own a gun, I do not shoot and I do not hunt. And I do not want bad guys to know I do not have a gun. And YOU do not speak for me.
bayboat
9:24 am on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Rible is 100% correct.
The bill WILL pass by a wide margin.
Laura
11:05 am on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
really?
type writer
11:08 am on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Really.
Beach_N8iv
10:38 am on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
I would rather see a list of gun owners who are NOT legal, not that it would be possible. I think that we have LESS to fear from the people who follow the laws.
Laura
5:02 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
until they don't.
Nj Ghost
10:40 am on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
@terry Domino..Are you suggesting that you'll feel a lot safer knowing who has a gun and who doesn't? I'll be up front about it..I have had guns in my home all my life and all legally owned....Now do you feel safer? I'm one in thousands upon thousands upon thousands who do...Trenton March will be a farce and I'm sure you will not attend....Talk about ridiculous asses!!!!
type writer
11:10 am on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Let's have a list of welfare recipients addresses. Women who have had abortions addresses. Elected politicians addresses.
Lets get it all out there.
bayboat
12:15 pm on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
A list of people who want to repeal the 2nd Amendment...
Beach_N8iv
12:29 pm on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Horseface Coulter is already looking to do that.
Gary Faraci
4:36 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Nice - the only buffoon - and coward - is Slippery Slope. Won't even use your real name. You're no Honest Abe S.S. The picture is inappropriate just like your comments
Nj Ghost
12:43 pm on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Why not make a list of all the people who want to make lists of people that might be on such a list , then, publish the lists in alphabetical order of the lists.
Guntoter66
2:31 pm on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
@ Tery Domino. Very classy your name calling wiped out what little credibility your comment may have had. Why not call the NRA " big wee wee-heads"? Very 3rd. grade. Apologies to the 3rd Grade students.
Robert Costello
3:18 pm on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
We are going to have to do SOMEthing about crazy people's access to guns. Any steps we take now are going to be years (or decades) from bearing fruit.
I don't envision guns being taken away but I can see a ban on certain offense types. Example: limited categories of future sales of ammo, clips and rapid fire firearms. I also see better controls on mental health Pharmacuitcals (SP) and limiting their use in youths.
Nj Ghost
3:39 pm on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
@ Robert Costello...I take issue with all your ideas except the first and last sentence...They are both sound and well thought out.
Robert Costello
6:26 pm on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
NjGhost. You expect immediate results from any possible new gun law? Pray tell, how you think that might work
Nj Ghost
8:11 pm on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
HA! actually we have aenough gun laws...In fact more then enough...what we have to do is stop the bad guys and the mentally challanged from getting their hands on them....Also eliminate gun free zones immediatly.
Marybeth Stoddart
7:23 am on Wednesday, January 9, 2013
I agree with Mr. Rible. My family has a history of law enforcement officers and their safety is just as important as yours and mine. Those of us who do not have guns in our homes do not have the right to jeopardize the safety of those who do, whether for profession or sport. It is just a scary time for our world. They say prayer is a good weapon and our only hope....just my opinion...maybe more of that in our homes, on the streets or in our schools again would do the world some good!
Resident of Lacey
9:47 am on Sunday, January 13, 2013
Gun ownership information needs to be kept private! This should never be made a public record.
Gary Faraci
4:38 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Assemblyman Rible is so concerned about protecting gun owners, but shows no concern about protecting our schools and children. Shame on him!
Spooner
4:43 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Gary- I gather you don't approve of Assemblyman Rible's bill?
John Walton
4:49 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Be clear about the real reason for this bill. Rible is pandering to a certain segment of the population that believe the NRA rhetoric 'the government is going to take our guns away!'. Sorry but I can't imagine any reasonable law abiding gun owner having a problem with this information being public, and I think the excuse that this protects gun owners from being targeted by thieves intent on stealing guns is a little thin, a little ridiculous.
Jacob
12:26 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
This argument makes no sense. The bill was in reaction to what happened in NY and how a newspaper had access to information and published the names/addresses of gun owners, when the "gun topic" is a HOT issue all across the country - what is hard to understand that this bill will make sure a NJ regulation is codified into law to prevent an issue like NY happening in NJ? Did you not read the issues of inmates threatening the guards that they knew where they lived since they now had access to their names and addresses where they lived? What about protecting the law enforcement bodies who are also on the list? There is no rhetoric about the government taking guns away, this is addressing a privacy concern - read the legislation John, this doesn't take away guns so stay away from regurgitating NRA nonsense... - any law abiding 'citizen' would have an issue with their names and addresses being thrown around freely....