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MOUNT OLIVE TWP. Mayor Rob Greenbaum doesnt want the town to be a Second Amendment Sanctuary but Township Councilman Alex Roman thinks its a good idea.

"I want to make sure that the state doesn't impose any more restrictions on our Second Amendment rights," Roman said on Friday. "It's slowly being eroded away. Restricting legal gun users doesn't improve safety."

At Roman's request, the council will consider the designation at the Tuesday, Feb. 4, meeting.

The designation is included in a proposed resolution forwarded by the newly-formed Morris County chapter of NJ2ASanctuary. The group is part of a statewide and nationwide pushback against gun control laws.

The Morris County chapter forwarded a sample, non-binding resolution to the township, asking for officials to adopt the sanctuary designation in opposition to gun controls. Similar resolutions have been adopted in a few towns in the state. The Gifford Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence reported that New Jersey has the second toughest gun laws in the nation, behind California.

"It's pretty much to tell the state that we're legal gun owners and the government of Mount Olive will support legal gun owners," Roman said.

Assemblyman Parker Space, R-Morris, and at least a dozen members of the New Jersey sanctuary group attended a rally in Richmond, Va., on Monday, Jan. 20, that attracted thousands of gun owners who want officials to defend Second Amendment Rights. There were no major incidents despite fears of violence by supporters and opponents of gun laws.

Roman did not attend the rally but spoke about it at the Jan. 21 council meeting.

"I was mostly appalled by the media characterization leading up to and including during the (rally)," Roman said.

He said media reported that "white nationalist, extremist, the all nine yards" were expected at the rally.

"And it turns out that like most Second Amendment gun owners, nothing happened," he said. "People who follow the laws are generally peaceful."

The mayor won't support designating the township as a "Second Amendment Sanctuary" but he said he does support Second Amendment rights.

I do support Second Amendment rights but I am not in favor of bringing Mount Olive to this politically charged issue, Greenbaum said previously.

Council President Joe Nicastro said that he supports the Second Amendment but doesnt like the connotation of a sanctuary town. Many people might confuse it with the sanctuary city movement that offers protection to immigrants without legal documents, he said.

Nicastro said he supports some gun controls such as the Red Flag law which allows authorities to seize weapons from people that a judge has deemed a danger to themselves or others.

Sanctuary has the connotation of providing a refuge for breaking laws, Nicastro said.

Mark Cheesman of Washington Township in Gloucester County is involved in the statewide sanctuary movement. He helped write the sample resolutions and said they no longer contain the word sanctuary. It now refers to Second Amendment Friendly towns.

Nicastro said he doesnt understand why a person would need a high-round or large capacity magazine or a semi-automatic assault style rifle. Semi-automatic weapons are prohibited in New Jersey and in 2018, the state passed a series of gun laws including banning magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

Ive been struggling with this, Nicastro said. Im not against all gun controls. I favor Red Flag laws but I dont understand the need for a high-bullet magazine.

Cheesman said that the gun control effort wants to stay focused although it has drawn people calling for the recall of Gov. Phil Murphy, who support President Trump and those who are against mandatory vaccinations in schools. The Recall Governor Phil Murphy Facebook page refers to the mayors support for gun controls, undocumented immigrants and taxes.

We dont want anything to do with the recall, Cheesman said. We wont allow recall Murphy people to be on our Facebook or our coat tails.

Cheesman said the gun control laws in New Jersey have became gradually tougher, beginning with laws in 1970 prohibiting concealed handguns to restrictions on magazines.

Our goal is to incrementally restore what has been taken away from us, said Cheesman who was part of a lawsuit filed in federal court in 2016 that overturned New Jerseys ban on possession of stun guns. .

Cheesman said he attended the Jan. 20 rally in Virginia

The rally was very, very peaceful, Cheesman said. My biggest problem was finding a cup of coffee.

Martin B. Welzmuller of Mount Olive helped organize an initial meeting of sanctuary supporters on Thursday, Jan. 23, at Franks Pizza in Flanders. More than 44 people attended.

Remember everyone who came out tonight send your resolutions in by this Saturday to the Freeholders and the one to your town clerks office, Welzmuller said on the groups Facebook page.

Among those attending was William J. Hayden of Branchville, a gun control opponent from Branchville who describes himself on Facebook as a strong supporter of President Trump and a Skylands Tea Party President, patriot, horse owner, bmx racer, tiger tamer!

The Morris County Freeholders and the Morris County Sheriffs Department have not received requests to declare sanctuaries.

The all-Republican Cape May Freeholders voted on Jan. 14 to declaring the county to be a Second Amendment/Lawful Gun Owner Sanctuary.

The Sussex County Freeholders heard public comments on Wednesday, Jan. 22, from people who oppose and support gun laws. Speakers included Assemblyman Space and Hayden, who both attended the Virginia rally.

A draft resolution on declaring the county as Second Amendment Sanctuary is expected to be considered at the Freeholders next meeting on Feb. 5.

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'Second Amendment Sanctuary' proposal on Mount Olive agenda - New Jersey Hills