On January 14th of 2013, the New York Legislature met for the first day of the new session after the fall elections. Although committee assignments had not yet been made, and even room assignments for the new legislators not finalized, Governor Andrew Cuomo presented a 39 page gun control bill and told the legislature that they had to vote on it.
Normally, bills in New York must age or sit on the legislators’ desk for 3 days to solicit public comment, but this requirement can be waived by the governor—and Cuomo did. With the backing of the legislative leaders Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) and the majority leader Jeff Klein (D-Bronx), all Democrats, called the bill for a vote and told the Republicans that if they resisted, well financed gun control supporters like The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence would pummel them with a seven figure advertising blitz in their districts. The Republicans caved, even though they did not have time to read, digest, or understand the 39-page assault on the second amendment.
What the bill does.
- The bill loosely defines assault weapons as any semiautomatic pistol, rifle, or shotgun which has a detachable magazine and has one of the following:
- Folding stock
- Muzzle break, compensator or flash suppressor or
- Magazine capacity in excess of seven rounds
- If one has an assault weapon:
- The owner must register with the state
- All registered owners will be subject to a review of disqualifiers by the state police
- Assault weapons owners may only transfer their weapons to a FFL or an out of state buyer.
- Beginning immediately, no magazine may be sold in New York with a capacity in excess of seven rounds
- Owners of magazines holding more than 10 rounds must surrender them to the state police.
- Owners of magazines holding 10 rounds may only carry 7 rounds in the clip
- Private sales and transfers of all guns, except to immediate family members, must be subject to a federal NICS (National Instant Criminal Check System) background check subject to a state fee (tax) and state disqualification.
- Federal NICS background checks are required for all ammunition purchases and the internet sale of ammo is BANNED
- Owners of semiautomatic guns and all assault style rifles must register with the state and are subject to re-registration every five years. Failure to do so is a class E felony!!
Why is the Cuomo bill bad, not just for New York, but for the rest of the country?
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- The New York law made felons over night out of tens of thousands of lawful, licensed citizens who previously owned guns with magazines holding more than 10 rounds.
- Thousands of small business gun shop owners are left with untold amounts of previously legal inventory they cannot sell and remain without direction from the government as to their legal options as to the disposition of their inventory.
- Even people owning legal firearms not classified as assault style firearms that may be in calibers not readily available at local gun stores may no longer purchase ammo and reloading supplies through Internet mail order.
- And lastly: guess who is running for president in 2016? From Albany to Arizona, From New York to New Mexico, that’s right, Andrew Cuomo!! Creating felons out of Americans, one citizen at a time. Andrew Cuomo may be looking out for you in 2016!!!
Please don’t let this happen to the rest of our country.
Continue to write your representatives and keep constant pressure on them to uphold the constitution and our Second Amendment rights. Groups such as the NRA-ILA and the NGRA need our financial help to continue the battle on Capitol Hill. These organizations are all we have fighting for us.
PS: Anyone tried buying ammo or reloading components lately? If you haven’t you will be shocked when you try. We are under siege!!
by Louis DiGiovanni