All about guns, legislation and politics in New York
Tuesday’s Newsbits:
Elections:
Jurisprudence:
Media reports say Joe Biden is considering Andrew Cuomo for Attorney General should he win the election.
As if I needed another reason not to vote for Biden.
If this comes to pass Kathy Hochul would take over as Governor until the ’22 election when Tish James would run and push her aside. There is no way Democrats would allow Hochul to run for a full term. Mimi Rocah would then run for Attorney General. At this point NYers would refer to Cuomo’s time as Governor as the good ol’ days.
The Buffalo News delivers the bad news, “Supermajority in sight for State Senate Democrats as they dramatically outspend GOP“:
“… “We’re feeling very optimistic,” said Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris, a Queens Democrat who is also chairman of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee. He cited everything from gun control to tenant protections as among the accomplishments of Democrats in their first two years in power …”
New: Updated NY campaign filings are in. Senate Dems have $2.7M for homestretch, having spent $3.8M since July. Senate GOP has $978K, having spent $442K since July. GOP also bolstered by $1.7M from indy group funded by Ron Lauder.
— Yancey Roy (@YanceyRoy) October 5, 2020
It’s probably going to happen.
At a minimum the Republicans will loose SD-46 and SD-56 which gives the Dems a supermajority of 42 seats. I see them losing SD-41 as well. Best chance for a GOP pickup is with Rob Astorino in SD-40.
Questionable political ads during the campaign are nothing new. Years ago upstate Democrats made use of the hunting license list to target Fudds with election mailings touting their candidates for being supposedly pro-hunting while concealing their anti-gun voting records.
This, however, takes that tactic a step further:
“… During the primary campaign, a mailer was sent to areas of the most pro-Second Amendment and gun rights communities in Niagara County from an organization that is decidedly in FAVOR of gun control. This pro-gun control organization touted the gun control credentials of Congressional candidate Nate McMurray and judicial candidate Carole Wojtaszek. It mentioned how these two candidates won the group’s endorsement because they support a robust agenda to essentially take gun rights away and keep our kids safe. This mailer, authored by Safe Schools Coalition, and sent to pro-gun rights voters, arrived in voters’ mailboxes on the day before the primary … Think about it: A mailer with Nancy Pelosi and other well-known liberals’ names attached to a group that supports stringent gun control, sent to an audience that is against more gun control! The endorsement of McMurray and Wojtaszek was meant to enrage voters against McMurray and Wojtaszek …”
Tuesday’s Newsbits:
Elections:
NRA:
Politics:
The Poughkeepsie Journal reports on the Democrat and Republican candidates running in CD-19:
Incumbent Congressman Antonio Delgado:
“Gun violence today is an epidemic that has spread to the most sacred places in our communities – our schools, places of worship, concert halls, movie theaters, and more. As the father to two young boys, I cannot fathom the enduring pain of losing a child to senseless gun violence. As a society, we must do better. That’s why I was proud to support H.R. 8, legislation to finally achieve universal background checks, with reasonable exemptions for family transfers. Requiring background checks, banning military-style assault weapons, establishing safe-storage laws, and expanding access to mental health services are all key steps to help curb gun violence and save lives.”
Republican challenger Kyle Van De Water:
“First, I want to reaffirm my unwavering support of the Second Amendment. Not only would it be unconstitutional to address this issue by infringing upon Second Amendment rights, it would be ineffective. I would look to the Broken Windows theory and focus on addressing minor offenses, and by doing so discourage more serious offenses such as gun violence. Unlike the Brady Bill in the 90s, under which there was no measurable decrease in gun violence nationwide, New York City under Mayor Giuliani’s Broken Windows strategy saw a drastic and meaningful decrease in violent crime including those committed with firearms. The measures I would take would focus on addressing misdemeanor level crimes which affect our safety and quality of life. Such measures have proven staggeringly effective in reducing more serious and dangerous crimes including those committed with firearms, while taking guns from law abiding citizens has proven ineffective in curtailing gun violence.”
An observation from my Twitter feed:
How can two candidates possibly endorse MORE police interactions in regards to gun control so badly? Dem wants MORE laws that will require more police enforcement while Rep wants Broken Windows strategy which will require more enforcement. Idiots, the both of them. https://t.co/J4iayYf1f6
— C-W Defense (@cwdefllc) October 1, 2020
Candidate Gregory Marks believes gun control is a winning issue in AD-20:
“… I am here to be your champion, fighting for gun violence prevention, public health, choice, environmental protection, and so many more critical issues. I am the Moms Demand Action endorsed candidate in this race. As we saw just a few weeks ago in the scary incident outside Yeshiva Ketana, dangerous assault-style weapons have no place in our community, particularly in such close proximity to schools and religious institutions. From Pittsburgh to Poway and Newtown to Marjory Stoneman Douglas, we have seen time and again that sick and anti-Semitic individuals armed with high-powered weapons can cause unthinkable harm to our suburban communities. We must fight to protect our schools and houses of worship and for that fight we need more champions …”
Thursday’s Newsbits:
Elections:
Gun Industry:
Jurisprudence:
Politics: