Bills that would amend or repeal NY State’s SAFE Act get a Democratic backer

Bills that would amend or repeal NY State’s SAFE Act get a Democratic backer

Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi has joined Senator James Seward in introducing legislation that would amend or repeal some provisions of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s gun control SAFE Act.

Brindisi, a Democrat, cited “responsible gun owners” with “valid objections” for his reasoning behind backing the four bills.

Via State of Politics:

The proposals would end the ban on giving long guns as gifts to relatives and pistol permit holders, repeal a provision in the law that limits 10-round magazines to seven rounds and end the requirement for ammunition retailers to register with the state and provide background checks on customers.

At the same time, county judges would be banned from “imposing extraneous restrictions” in issuing pistol and handgun licenses.

It’s not unusual for Republicans to seek amendments or outright repeals of the law, which has become a lightning rod for gun-rights advocates around the state and country.

But it is eyebrow-raising for a Democrat to back such a sweeping repeal.

The four bills have been outlined by the Utica Observer-Dispatch:

  • S.2611 – To amend the SAFE Act to once again allow for the gifting of long guns to close relatives and to holders of valid New York State pistol licenses.

  • S.2612 – To repeal the provision of the SAFE Act that was struck down in federal court which limits the number of legally permissible cartridges in a ten round magazine to seven.

  • S.2613 – To terminate a state program requiring all ammunition retailers register with the state and conduct background checks on all customers.  The bill also redirects state funding allocated to this program to public school districts to assist in the hiring of school resource officers.

  • S.2614 – To prohibit county judges and other licensing officers from imposing extraneous restrictions when issuing pistol and handgun licenses.

Brindisi referred to certain elements of the SAFE Act as “an unnecessary burden on responsible gun owners.”

Seward, a Republican, says Cuomo’s SAFE Act was designed for nothing more than to garner headlines, and “has done nothing to stop criminals from getting guns and using them for illegal purposes.”

Cross-posted at the Mental Recession

Rusty Weiss

Rusty Weiss

Rusty Weiss is editor of the Mental Recession, one of the top conservative blogs of 2012. His writings have appeared at the Daily Caller, American Thinker, FoxNews.com, Big Government, the Times Union, and the Troy Record.

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