SAFE and Dean Skelos were hot topics in yesterday’s SD-46 candidate debate:
“State Senator Cecilia Tkaczyk and her Republican Senate challenger George Amedore traded insults and blame over the locally unpopular SAFE Act and public ethics during an hourlong debate at the historic Proctor’s Theater Tuesday night …”
This isn’t what Governor Cuomo wants to hear. SAFE is a hot issue all over the state despite media pundits trying to downplay it.
“… “I support the Second Amendment and people’s rights to bear arms—I do not support how this process was voted on,” Tkaczyk said. “I think there are some good things in the SAFE Act, like universal background checks, that provide protection for people to protect themselves from gun violence … “[But] it’s also important to acknowledge that there are things that should be changed. You should be able to put 10 bullets in your 10-clip magazine. I support the aspects of the SAFE Act that should stay, but I’m open to reform,” she said …”
Has she introduced “reform” legislation? No.
“… Amedore, a former assemblyman (and, very briefly, state senator), called the law “a complete infringement on our constitution and our freedom, our Second Amendment.” … “The bill was flawed,” he continued. “The bill was unconstitutional … Take the politics out of it, the knee-jerk reaction, and let’s do it so that we’re not infringing on our Second Amendment rights.” …”
Knee-jerk reactions are what Albany does best.
“… In her rebuttal, Tkaczyk pointed to Republican conference leader Dean Skelos, who represents Long Island, as the reason the bill passed … “In fact, your mentor, Dean Skelos, who is leader of the Republican party in the Senate, negotiated it, brought it to the floor and voted for it,” she said, to thunderous applause. “The Republican Senate put it on the floor, not me.” …”
Credit where credit is due, she is exactly right. Skelos made no effort to stop it or even slow the process down. Republicans own SAFE as much as Cuomo.