Good morning. It's Friday. Today we'll look at an effort to implement what would be one of the strongest gun control laws in the country in New Jersey. It is a challenge to a United States Supreme Court ruling that struck down a stringent gun law in New York State, my colleague Tracey Tully writes. And we'll also look at the New York State attorney general's latest challenge to Donald J. Trump. |
 | | Nicholas Scutari, president of the New Jersey Senate, introduced gun legislation on Thursday.Michael Catalini/Associated Press |
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New York State had one of the most nation's most restrictive gun laws, which sharply limited the ability to carry weapons outside a person's home. But this past summer, a Supreme Court ruling that gave Americans a broad right to carry guns struck down New York's law. as well as similar legislation in California, Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey and Massachusetts. On Thursday, New Jersey legislators proposed a law to blunt the effects of that ruling; if enacted, it would become one of the strictest gun rules in the country. |
Bearing arms, or not, in the Garden State |
My colleague Tracey Tully obtained a draft of the bill. It outlines that residents seeking to carry their guns in public must complete a gun-safety training course, submit character references and buy insurance. In addition, the bill bans handguns from 25 different categories of public spaces, she writes, "including bars, beaches, stadiums and day care centers, and from any private establishment that does not post signs explicitly stating that weapons are permitted." |
If the bill passes into law, there are sure to be legal challenges. Last week a judge invalidated much of New York's law barring the carrying of guns in some public places, which had been passed in July in response to the Supreme Court decision. New York's attorney general appealed the order, and a federal appeals court agreed to let New York keep banning guns in some places while a panel of judges considers whether the law can be kept in place for longer. |
Craig J. Coughlin, the Democratic leader of the State Assembly, told Tully that New Jersey Democrats were committed to pushing the legislation forward. The areas where guns would not be permitted, like sports games, he said, were "pretty obvious." "Rabid football fans. Alcohol. Concealed carry? Doesn't seem like a good recipe," he added. |
Since the June Supreme Court ruling, my colleague learned from state officials, about 300,000 New Jersey residents have applied for permits to carry guns in public. New Jersey legislators feel they have to act, Tully said. |
"The option to do nothing is not an option for them, because there are 300,000 people trying to get gun permits, and there is no law on the books that is valid," she said. The legislation appears to have enough support to pass into law, she added: "It will likely pass, then the battle will be in the courts." |
A vanguard of gun control |
In proposing the legislation, New Jersey is also solidifying its long-held status as a vanguard of gun control. It is the most densely populated state in the country; yet it is the third-safest state when it comes to gun deaths. Adding the requirement for insurance for gun owners, Tully explained, is a novel approach, which could serve as a model for other states. |
When we spoke on Thursday afternoon, Tully had just finished interviewing Erich Pratt, the vice president of Gun Owners of America. He was not happy. "We look at this just as another attempt to demonize firearms and gun owners," Mr. Pratt told her. |
Enjoy a sunny day, with temperatures near the high 60s. At night it's mostly clear, with temps in the low 50s. |
In effect until Monday (Shemini Atzeret). |
 | | Spencer Platt/Getty Images, Anna Watts for The New York Times |
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- Hochul's strategy: Governor Hochul has diligently wielded the governor's office to her political advantage, pulling the levers of government to woo voters and casting herself as the steady, experienced hand.
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- David Geffen Hall: After decades, the Philharmonic's home is newly, completely and happily renovated. Judgments on the hall's acoustics at this early stage are provisional, but a mighty improvement is already obvious.
- Off Off Broadway theater leaders step down: Two of Soho Repertory Theater's three directors will depart to focus more on their own creative output.
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Introducing Trump Organization II |
 | | Brian Snyder/Reuters |
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It is, admittedly, difficult to keep track of the many (many!) legal skirmishes involving Donald J. Trump. The latest involves a battle within a battle. |
Turns out, while she was doing that, Trump was busy elsewhere: Just days before James outlined her case against him in dramatic detail, Trump's lawyers had created a new company in Delaware. |
As my colleagues Ben Protess, Jonah E. Bromwich and William K. Rashbaum reported on Thursday, the new company's name had a familiar ring to it: the Trump Organization, the same name as his old company. And on Sept. 21, the day that James filed her lawsuit, the new Delaware company filed paperwork in New York, seeking to be recognized there as the Trump Organization II. |
Perhaps needless to say, the attorney general was not amused. In a court filing on Thursday, she raised the prospect that Trump was trying to evade the reach of her lawsuit by moving his assets out of state. |
James asked a judge to prohibit the Trump Organization from transferring its assets without court approval. Alina Habba, a lawyer for the former president and his company, dismissed the attorney general's filing as "simply another stunt." She also noted that Mr. Trump's lawyers "have repeatedly provided assurance, in writing, that the Trump Organization has no intention of doing anything improper." |
I walked past a woman on Second Avenue and told her that I liked her shirt. |
It said, "My own approval is all I need." |
Glad we could get together here. See you on Monday. — S.M.N. |
| Melissa Guerrero, Hannah Fidelman and Ed Shanahan contributed to New York Today. You can reach the team at nytoday@nytimes.com. |
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