Mayor Booker denounces illegal handgun trade.

by Chanta L. Jackson/The Star-Ledger
Tuesday July 15, 2008, 5:45 AM

Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker, State Senator Sandra Cunningham and Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy came together in the North Ward Monday to urge the state senate to pass the "One Handgun A Month" bill.

S-1774, authored by Senator Cunningham and Mayor Healy, will impose a limit on handgun sales to one per month per customer, which is designed to reduce the number of handguns for illegal use or resale on New Jersey's streets.

The bill has passed in the assembly, and awaits senate action in the fall.

"The pain and suffering that is caused in Newark by illegal handguns is unacceptable to the residents of this city," Booker said. "And we recognize that this pain and suffering is a national crisis which must be met with a national response. These deaths in our cities and our neighborhoods are unacceptable. We must take a stand to eradicate the flow, sale, and distribution of illegal handguns."

In April of 2006, Booker and Healy joined New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino in Mayor's Against Illegal Guns. Mayors Against Illegal Guns is a national bi-partisan organization that now has more than 300 members from 40 states who have united in the common cause of protecting their communities from the harm of illegal guns.

Ceasefire NJ Executive Director Bryan Miller, Blue Wave NJ Founder and President Marcia Marley, Essex County Million Mom March Chair Asyah Aquil, North Ward Council Member Anibal Ramos also attended the news conference.