On the heels of New Jersey’s recent gun turn-in program, which netted nearly 5,000 guns, U.S. Rep. Donald Payne, D-N.J., has introduced the Safer Neighborhood Gun Buyback Act. The poorly named measure has nothing to do with “safer neighborhoods,” nor is it a “buyback.”
Instead, it encourages gun owners to sell their firearms to the federal government. In return, they would receive a debit card worth up to 125 percent of the gun’s market value. The card could be used to purchase anything but guns or ammunition. Payne calls that a win-win—one less gun on the street, more money spent locally.
The truth is that HR 3613 is just the latest gun control scheme. As we wrote earlier this week, so-called “buybacks” are nothing more than smoke, mirrors and feel-good puffery.
Guns.com reports that Payne’s bill has 16 Democratic sponsors and has been referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.