Gov Christie vetoes 50 caliber gun ban

I am not sure exactly how to interpret these vetoes because he may have thought he was going to run for president, but it is at least a reasonable sign.  On the other hand, he said that he would have signed a more narrowly tailored ban.  From Fox News:

Republican Gov. Chris Christie on Friday vetoed a ban on .50-caliber rifles that was vigorously opposed by firearms rights advocates and gutted a proposal overhauling the state’s gun permit law. 

Christie said the permit changes adopted by lawmakers were impractical because they rely on technology that hasn’t been developed. 

“None of the technology necessary for this system exists. … the smartcard called for by this bill cannot be implemented now or any time in the foreseeable future,” Christie said in his conditional veto message. 

The centerpiece of the bill, sponsored by Democratic Senate President Steve Sweeney, linked firearms purchases and law enforcement records into a digital smartcard maintained by the state police, Motor Vehicle Commission, mental health facilities and ammunition retailers. . . . 

The proposed ban on military-style .50-caliber rifles went beyond his task force-recommended ban on sales of Barrett .50-caliber long-range rifles and, he said, would have unduly restricted lawful recreational pastime activities. 

“Tellingly, the Legislature points to no instance of this class of firearms being used by even a single criminal in New Jersey,” Christie said. . . .

More on Christie's decisions regarding other gun laws is available here.