In pandering speech to gun lobby-backed group, Guadagno doubles-down on preventing any further discussion on gun safety

In a pandering speech today to gun rights advocates originally meant to be kept behind closed doors, Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno doubled-down on her promise to prevent further any discussions about new safety measures to prevent gun violence.  

In a telling moment in her remarks, Guadagno said she would be open to “enhance penalties for people who illegally use guns…perhaps.”

Guadagno’s refusal to commit to stronger laws for criminals illegally using guns puts the Lt. Governor at the very fringe — an overwhelming majority of legal gun owners support stronger laws against criminals using guns.  She hedged multiple times on stronger, commonsense gun safety laws, constantly saying “perhaps.”

So, there we have it. The Kim Guadagno who spoke today was the Kim Guadagno who said two days after the Las Vegas shooting, “I wouldn’t change the gun laws, simple as that. I wouldn’t change the gun laws.” The same Kim Guadagno who said in an interview on NJTV that she was proud of her “A” from the gun lobby.

Her blanket statement includes standing with Chris Christie on all the bills he vetoed, like keeping guns out of the hands of convicted gang members, carjackers, and those who make terrorist threats.

Murphy spokesperson Derek Roseman summed up Guadagno’s pandering, “Kim Guadagno is so desperate to keep her ‘A’ rating from the gun lobby that she has abandoned all common sense on this critical issue. There can be no ‘perhaps’ when it comes to protecting New Jerseyans from gun violence and the criminals who commit those crimes.”