More attacks upon the SAFE Act, legislatively and administratively.<\/p>\n
First, the legislative attack, “Budget Resolution Takes Aim At New York’s SAFE Act<\/a>“:<\/p>\n “Senate Republicans<\/a> and their governing partners in the Independent Democratic Conference<\/a> appear to be targeting New York\u2019s new gun control measure with their one-house budget resolution … Specifically, the resolution would deny Gov. Cuomo\u2019s<\/a> proposal to provide $3.2 million in funding to the state police \u201cfor personal service and contractual services related to the implementation of the New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act (NY SAFE).\u201d \u00a0The resolution also seeks to strip $32.7 million in capital funding related to the development of a pistol permit database by the State University of New York …”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n The Left often uses this strategy to attack programs it doesn’t like. \u00a0I’m not optimistic it will work here as I don’t think the Republicans have the balls to stand firm on the issue.<\/p>\n Second, the administrative attack, “VA won\u2019t abide by reporting provisions of SAFE<\/a>“:<\/p>\n “The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a> said it will not comply with New York State\u2019s new law requiring mental health providers to report potentially dangerous individuals to state authorities … Mark Ballesteros, spokesperson for the Department of Veterans Affairs, said that the U.S. Constitution<\/a> forces his agency to follow federal law, not New York\u2019s new rules. \u00a0\u201cFederal laws safeguarding the confidentiality of veterans\u2019 treatment records do not authorize VA mental-health professionals to comply with this NY State law,\u201d he said in an emailed statement …”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n This is what happens when the authors of the bill (Cuomo’s office) don’t bother to do due diligence on the issue. \u00a0There is a reason for the requirement that bills “age” before they can be voted on, a requirement Cuomo got around by (mis)using a “message of necessity.”<\/p>\n