Lawmakers react to federal block of gun provisions

PLATTSBURGH | New York officials are vowing to appeal a federal court ruling that blocks several provisions of the state's new gun control legislation. U.S. District Judge Glenn Suddaby cited six pieces of the recently enacted law as unconstitutional, including new background checks for permits, the disclosure of private social media accounts, banning gun possession on certain public and private properties and the mandate that permit applicants demonstrate they have "good moral character." Sen. Dan Stec was among North Country lawmakers who quickly applauded the decision after months of advocating against the laws and calling for clarity in the provisions, including specifically for the Adirondack Park. "The ruling today from Judge Suddaby proves what I've been saying since this bill was passed in July: it's an unconstitutional measure that infringes on the right of our lawful gun owners," Stec said following the Oct. 6 decision. "Governor Hochul and Democrat leaders were so focused on scoring political points, that they rushed through a sloppy, ill-conceived law that does nothing to address the rising crime rates in New York. Instead of using the Second Amendment as a political football, I urge them to do the right thing and take up common sense public safety reforms. Let's crackdown on violent offenders and actual criminals, not honest men and women using their constitutional right." U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, a vocal critic of the laws and supporter of the legal challenges to it, called the decision one step closer to ending the assault on fundamental Second Amendment rights and said she "will continue to bring the concerns of patriots in Upstate New York and the North Country to the highest levels, defend hardworking families, and fight for our Constitutional right to bear arms." Assemblyman Billy Jones, who also voted against the laws, said he wasn't surprised by the federal decision. "I am not shocked at Judge Suddaby's decision to temporarily block the concealed carry legislation that was passed earlier this summer. I voted against this rushed legislation due to many of these same concerns. I had expected this would end up in the court system as we have seen many flaws with this legislation over the last couple months." New York Attorney General Letitia James condemned the temporary restraining order that blocks provisions of New York's Concealed Carry Improvement Act (CCIA) saying the "decision comes in the wake of mass shootings and rampant gun violence hurting communities here in New York and across the country. While the decision preserves portions of the law, we believe the entire law must be preserved as enacted. We will appeal this decision. "Common-sense gun control regulations help save lives. I will not back down from the fight to protect New Yorkers from repeated and baseless attacks on our state's gun safety measures. I will continue to defend our responsible gun laws and fight for the safety of everyday New Yorkers." All provisions of the CCIA remain in effect until next week because the trial judge stayed his order to permit the state to consider and pursue appellate options. Gov. Hochul called the decision reckless and said "The State Legislature and I acted decisively to keep New Yorkers safe. The Concealed Carry Improvement Act was carefully crafted to put in place common-sense restrictions around concealed carry permits. "While this decision leaves aspects of the law in place, it is deeply disappointing that the judge wants to limit my ability to keep New Yorkers safe and to prevent more senseless gun violence. We are working with the Attorney General's office to review the decision carefully and discuss next steps in an appeal. I will continue to do everything in my power to combat the gun violence epidemic and protect New Yorkers."

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Lawmakers react to federal block of gun provisions

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