Listen: Moriarty weighs in on Murphy conditionally vetoing law that creates new penalties for inciting a public brawl

Listen here: https://player.amperwavepodcasting.com/?&feed-link=https%3A%2F%2Frss.amperwave.net%2Fv2%2Fepisode%2F7409540_2025-05-09-232940&withPlaylist=false&theme=dark&playerDisplay-logoType=Audacy

By Mike Dougherty, KYW Newsradio

NEW JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — Gov. Phil Murphy has conditionally vetoed a bill that creates a new penalty for inciting a public brawl.

Under the bill, a person is considered guilty of inciting a public brawl if they act “with purpose to organize or promote a group of four or more other persons to engage in a course of disorderly conduct.”

Murphy cited concerns over the language in the bill, which he said could be chilling to free speech, the right to protest and the freedom to wear a face mask. While he agrees with the bill’s intent to prohibit violence from disrupting public events, he made suggestions to clean up the language to avoid unintended consequences for otherwise lawful acts.

Bill sponsor state Sen. Paul Moriarty says these are technicalities and won’t hold up the bill for too long.

“I believe the governor’s conditional veto is just a change of a few words here and there. They’re really technical changes that don’t dramatically change the substance or intent of the legislation,” Moriarty said.

The legislation passed both the Senate and Assembly without opposition. Moriarty expects the Senate and Assembly to accept the suggested changes. The law is likely to pass again on June 2.