Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords joins New York Gov. Kathy Hochul for the signing of new gun safety laws
NEW YORK -- Preventing gun violence in New York took center stage Wednesday, with one of the country's most famous survivors in town for the announcement.
Former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords arrived at the Javits Center to a standing ovation before detailing her struggle to recover from gun violence. She survived a public shooting in Tucson in 2011, and has spent the last 13 years advocating for federal gun control laws.
"I found one word and then another. My recovery is a daily fight, but it makes you stronger," Giffords said. "Change doesn't happen overnight, and we can't do it alone. Join me and let's move ahead together."
A look at New York state's new gun safety laws
Giffords stood at Gov. Kathy Hochul's side as she signed a package of six bills into law, designed to further stem the tide of gun violence in New York.
"Since I've taken office, shootings are down 50% in three years. Murders are approaching lows we haven't seen since the 1960s and that's (from) our New York state data that I trust. It didn't happen by accident," Hochul said.
Among the new gun safety laws: regulations on converters that turn pistols into automatic weapons, a statewide database for red flag-law offenders, requiring gun dealers to display the National Suicide Hotline inside stores, and requiring credit and debit card companies to track gun store purchases.
"So we know if someone is stockpiling ammunition -- not a good sign," Hochul said.
The new gun safety laws will take effect early next year.
The governor also used Wednesday's platform to repeat her call for a national ban on assault weapons.
Hochul's message hit home for the dozens of young gun violence prevention advocates in attendance Wednesday.
"There are people who only care about pictures of their weapons and not that pictures of our loved ones are all we have left," Trevon Bosley said. "We will save lives. We will save lives."
