Decriminalize it

On: By: admin

New York has slowly been moving in the direction of legalizing recreation marijuana.

The legislature should speed up the process:

“A burglar trying to rob a Main Street apartment early today Monday was shot in the hand by the gun-toting tenant, police said. New Rochelle police said Darius Rogers and a second man broke into an apartment at 759 Main St. around 12:49 a.m. Rogers was armed, but so was the tenant, 21-year-old Nicholas Collado, and Collado shot the intruder, police said. The second intruder fled. Rogers was transported to a local hospital and was treated for non-life threatening injuries. He is facing felony charges of first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon …”

Good. He got what he deserved.

“… Police said they found narcotics in the apartment. So, Collado is facing felony charges of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and second-degree criminal possession of marijuana.”

Decriminalize all of it including the hallucinogenics and get the state out of the drug control business altogether.  It is bad policy.

Newsbits

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Tuesday’s Newsbits:

Legislation:

Elections:

Politics:

Guns:

Problem

On: By: admin

Newsday reports:

“As the race for governor accelerates, Republican nominee Marc Molinaro says the campaign of Democratic Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is trying falsely to define him as an ultraconservative out of step with most New Yorkers on social issues … The Cuomo campaign routinely refers to Molinaro as “Trump mini-me . . . who has an ‘A’ rating from the NRA …” … He defends the right of the National Rifle Association to be included in discussion of gun control and school safety. But he refuses to take campaign contributions from the NRA …”

There are roughly 250,000 NRA members in New York.

A candidate who does not have a personal interest in firearms and has little to no firsthand experience with them isn’t a problem.  A candidate who does not want to make guns a priority issue during the campaign isn’t a problem.  A candidate who does not want to accept special interest donations isn’t a problem.

This is a problem.  A lot of people are going to look at this as an insult as it singles out the NRA.

Newsbits

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Friday’s Newsbits:

Elections:

Politics:

Jurisprudence:

Look at the Janus reaction

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Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement from the Supreme Court effective the end of July.

Already there is speculation that his replacement will give us a court more supportive of 2nd Amendment rights.  That is probably right.  To understand how New York representatives would react to a pending gun case that would significantly impact the state, look at how they prepared for the Janus decision which said public employees cannot be forced to pay union dues.

Public sector unions knew they would likely lose that case so earlier this year their allies in the legislature passed and Governor Cuomo signed a new law designed to blunt Janus’ impact.  I would expect the same thing to happen when it appears another major SCOTUS ruling on gun rights is imminent.

Turning out to vote

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Pat Ryan ran a hardcore gun control campaign for the Democrat nomination in CD-19.

The result of this?

With roughly a 35% turnout, he came in 3rd in a 7-way primary about 17.7% of the vote.

This is more proof that gunsense cannot turn out a voting block even in Democrat primaries.

The winner Antonio Delgado does support gun control, but he didn’t spend a pile of campaign cash running shamelessly dishonest advertisements on television implying the AR-15 is a military weapon.

“Antonio Delgado won Tuesday’s seven-person Democratic primary in New York’s 19th Congressional District, allowing him to run against Republican U.S. Rep. John Faso in November … Delgado also has said he supports universal background checks for gun purchases and closing the gun show loop hole, as well as banning bump stocks.”

Cuomo’s Protect Our Kids ad

On: By: admin

A new advertisement paid for by Governor Cuomo’s campaign targets Senate Republicans for not passing his ‘red flag’ gun bill:

Because it is being done as a re-election ad, not an issue ad, I don’t think it will motivate any action on his proposal.

Recess and return

On: By: admin

The state legislature went into recess as scheduled last week.  Governor Cuomo’s ‘red flag’ proposal did not come up for a vote in the Senate.

I am not totally convinced he was serious about it.  I am open to the possibility that the last few weeks was nothing but well orchestrated political theater meant to diminish Cynthia Nixon’s primary challenge.

In any event, because one of the other hot button issues was not addressed, speed cameras, there is the possibility the legislature will return for a special session before the current law expires on July 25.

Newsbits

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Sunday’s Newsbits:

Legislation:

Elections:

Politics: