OCTOBER 23, 2015, 7:23 PM LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2015, 11:07 PM
BY DUSTIN RACIOPPI
STATE HOUSE BUREAU |
THE RECORD
Now that the Senate has voted to override Christie’s veto of that Madden bill on mental health records, sending it to the Assembly for consideration, the details of both proposals are at the center of a dispute between Democrats and Republicans over what is sound policy and what is political theatrics. The arguments show how powerful Christie’s pen stroke can be in Trenton, turning a bipartisan agreement into a pitched debate over mental illness and guns — plus all the other pressing matters facing the state.
Republicans in the Assembly now face the same choice as their colleagues in the Senate: Either switch their votes or defy Christie and hand him the first complete override of his tenure. Republican leader Jon Bramnick, a prime sponsor of the Assembly version of Madden’s bill, said his party expects Democrats to work toward solving New Jersey’s most vexing challenges first.
“If you’re willing to post and get passed in both houses serious tax reform and serious policy changes, I’m happy to talk about overriding the governor,” Bramnick said. “But my sense is that if you just want to override the governor for political purposes, I’m not with you.”
Sharing information
The bill at the heart of the dispute was sponsored by Bramnick, of Union County, and Madden, D-Gloucester, and was requested by the Administrative Office of the Courts. It would provide for local law enforcement to be notified when someone with a history of mental illness — like being committed to an institution or determined by the state to be a danger — applies to have a mental health record expunged for the purpose of obtaining a firearm.
While nothing stops judges from contacting law enforcement to get more details about an applicant that may weigh on their decision, the bill would automatically notify authorities to give them an opportunity to share information with the courts such as pending charges or “aberrant” behavior of the individuals.
The bill unanimously passed the Legislature in June. But Christie, who is running for the Republican nomination for president, conditionally vetoed the legislation in August because, he said, it didn’t comprehensively address mental health reform. Instead, he urged the Legislature to act on his recommendations found in the bill sponsored by Thompson, R-Middlesex.
Hybrid proposal
Christie’s reforms included a new standard for involuntary commitment for someone with mental illness; new training programs for first responders to identify and deal with people “in crisis”; and a requirement that someone who has been involuntarily committed for mental health treatment demonstrate “adequate medical evidence of suitability” in order to get a firearms purchaser card. None of his recommendations dealt with expunging mental health records.