Democratic Governor Phil Murphy has proposed slashing $1 million from the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center — a cut that would wipe out a third of the center’s budget and cripple its operations, officials say.
Based at Rutgers University, the center is one of only a handful of state-funded gun violence research hubs in the country. Its executive director, Michael Anestis, said the proposed cut would eliminate the center’s ability to fund outside researchers and collect data on gun-related topics like safe storage and usage — work that helps illuminate potential solutions to America’s gun violence epidemic.
“We are the only research center out there that not only conducts research, but is a funding agency,” Anestis told The Trace. “We will not be able to do that next year with a $1 million cut.” …
In New Jersey, the proposed cut represents a stark reversal. State lawmakers established the research center in 2018 with Murphy’s backing. Just the second institution of its kind, it sought to fill a knowledge gap left by decades of federal inaction and the gun industry’s opposition to studying the effects of its products.
Lawmakers are expected to consider Murphy’s budget plan in the coming weeks. State Senator Troy Singleton, who chairs the New Jersey Senate Democratic caucus and is a longtime supporter of the center, said he would fight to save its funding during budget negotiations, which are slated to ramp up in May. Lawmakers must approve a final spending package by July 1.
“Leadership on gun violence prevention really means investing in research and data and community-based solutions,” Singleton said. “Frankly, none of that is possible without institutions like the Gun Violence Research Center. Without it, we’re flying blind.” …
“We can’t quite understand why, even in a difficult budget season like this, the governor would take a step like this,” Anestis said. “It’s so inconsistent with a record that has been so remarkably strong on this issue. It seems to echo the Trump administration’s disdain for science when we know that’s never been the stance of the administration here.”
— Chip Brownlee, in Major Gun Violence Research Center Threatened by Proposed Cuts