Christie-Backed Changes in Gun Rules Get Mixed Reaction

Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie is fighting his image as weak on gun rights as he works to build support in New Hampshire, a key primary state.

This week, he endorsed the recommendations of a commission he established to examine New Jersey’s strict permitting and purchase regulations.

The panel proposed that the attorney general set uniform standards for processing gun applications. It found that residents face uneven wait times across the state, sometimes exceeding the statutory limit.

Another recommended change would clarify what constitutes “justifiable need” in applications for concealed carry permits.

Some New Hampshire gun-rights activists say it’s a step in the right direction in liberal New Jersey. But a representative of the New Hampshire Firearms Coalition calls the Christie commission recommendations “nothing burgers.”