NY lawmakers to mull post-Supreme Court gun bills next week
ALBANY, N.Y. — There was a major step forward in the fight against gun violence Saturday as President Joe Biden signed the first significant piece of gun legislation in decades.
While the law benefits New York, state legislators are also trying to work around the Supreme Court ruling that now makes it easier for many people in the state to carry a gun in public.
Biden applauded lawmakers on both sides who compromised to pass the Safer Communities Act.
"Today, we say more than enough. We say more than enough," he said. "In a time when it seems impossible to get anything done in Washington, we are doing something consequential."
The legislation will enhance background checks for people under 21. It also sets aside $750 million for states that implement Red Flag laws designed to keep weapons out of the hands of people deemed dangerous.
Additionally, it closes the so-called "Boyfriend Loophole." This prevents someone from buying a gun who has been convicted of domestic abuse and has a current or past dating relationship with a victim.
"The victims' families said do something and something has been done. What we're going to get is more resources to states to help us fund these programs. The Red Flag law, I need more resources to be able to get the message out how it works, more training, so I'm welcoming the resources from the federal government to help us make sure that the laws that they're doing in Washington have a difference. Is it all the way... Are we done? No, of course not. We're never done," Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
But the federal legislation doesn't change what the Supreme Court ruled this week, overturning New York's concealed carry ban.
The governor is calling a special session of the state legislature this Thursday to explore a range of options, including creating concealed carry restrictions on "sensitive locations."
"There's a sense of urgency that we don't allow people at random just have a concealed weapon going on our subways," Hochul said.
The state is also considering changes to the concealed carry permitting process, including specific training for permit applicants.
"We need to be using our power to the fullest extent at every single level of government to fight back, and so for me, that really means that as Democrats and as people who are leading the state of New York, we really need to be as aggressive and determined as the other side is, and so I am looking forward to the special session that's coming up this week on Thursday," Sen. Alessandra Biaggi said.
