All about guns, legislation and politics in New York
The state legislature has not gone into recess as scheduled. They are still in Albany debating serious issues:
Albany gives attention to the wood frog as session lags – City & Region – The Buffalo News http://t.co/ieIytTdrMK
— Tom Precious (@TomPreciousALB) June 18, 2015
It remains to be seen whether the Assembly will take up companion legislation to the SAFE revision bill.
Microstamping bill A-6192 is on the Assembly Codes Committee agenda for Monday.
This is interesting as the enacting clause was stricken on May 12 which should have killed the bill. That action is no longer listed, only the original introduction to Codes on March 16 is.
Kathleen Rice has discovered that politics in Washington are a lot different than the corrupt Nassau Co. machine she was used to:
“… Rice used the example of the National Rifle Association lobbying for power as an example of how money distorts politics. “There isn’t a more powerful lobby on this planet than the NRA. They make big donations and they have co-opted the conversation,” Rice said. “We are letting them set the tone for the conversation.” …”
She’s just upset that her antigun mindset puts her in an ever-shrinking minority.
What happens when two killers escape from prison?
“… residents of a small upstate town armed themselves as law enforcement zeroed in on Willsboro, about 40 miles southeast of Dannemora. “My husband I both have conceal carry (licenses), and we have our guns loaded and they’re here in the house,” said Teresa Sayward, a former Republican assemblywoman whose farm is near where the wanted men were spotted. “Hopefully we won’t have to use them.” … Another Willsboro resident took out his shotgun when a reporter walked up to his home to interview him …”
Isn’t the SAFE Act enough to keep them safe?
The State Senate passed a bill making some minor changes to the SAFE Act in particular the ammo registration part.
Senator Daniel Squadron tried making some noise about it, but it is not like he and everybody else didn’t know the bill was coming to the floor for a vote.
Here’s a press statement I wrote for the media about it.
Shootings have been up in New York City over the last two years since the SAFE Act was passed into law.
Bloomberg’s astroturf put on another dog-and-pony media show this week by encouraging people to wear orange this past Tuesday. The Mets went along with it. Now at least one of the team, pitcher Dillon Gee, is claiming he was suckered into posing for the picture:
http://t.co/2B6lhSjyGz this is not why i put on that shirt this day. I in no way support bloomberg/Morgan or gun control.
— Dillon Gee (@DillonGee35) June 3, 2015
@MetsFanInPhilly was told it was in support of raising awareness for gun violence. I don't support senseless gun violence. That's all.
— Dillon Gee (@DillonGee35) June 3, 2015
To be fair, the players probably do a lot of events like this and it is possible Gee did not know exactly what cause they were promoting. Nevertheless, he should have asked some questions before allowing his name to be associated with a social cause that everybody knows has a political aspect.
New Yorkers Against Gun Violence sent a letter to the Buffalo Common Council trying to get them to state public opposition to NRA-backed CCW reciprocity legislation.
At some point reciprocity is going to happen. The GOP leadership in Congress needs to find their backbone and move on it this session so it can be used as an issue in the next Presidential campaign.
The St. Lawrence Co. Legislature passed a local law which defines “proper cause” for pistol license applicants.
Here is video of yesterday’s legislative meeting:
Problem is this sort of thing was already tried in Suffolk Co. ~25 years ago by amending the county charter and the court ruled it is not legal. Don’t know if they were aware of this, but I get the impression they are expecting some issues:
“… County Attorney Stephen D. Button said … the law can’t force the judge to change his policy …”