Watertown— Exactly 31 days after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, where 26 victims lost their lives, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo passed the most comprehensive gun law in the nation.
Since January 14th, the Firearms Enforcement Act of 2013 (NY SAFE ACT) has been scrutinized by 50 NY counties out of 62, stating the NY SAFE ACT is an infringement on Second Amendment rights. The 50 counties that examined Cuomo’s NY SAFE ACT have either passed or are currently considering passing a resolution. Essex, Schenectady, Albany, Tompkins, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester and NY City are 8 counties said to have not rebuffed the NY SAFE ACT.
The NY SAFE ACT bans high capacity magazines and assault rifles in addition to making it tougher for mentally ill patients to obtain access to guns. “They passed it so quickly that they didn’t take the time to find out what the people thought,” said Legislator of the 15th District, Anthony J. Doldo. “Technically, they were supposed to wait 3 days to hear public comment and they didn't. I understand what happened in Connecticut, but does this really solve the problem?”
Mr. Doldo went on to point out that the new law limits anyone to having only 7 rounds loaded in their gun, down from the current capacity of 10. “This includes police officers” said Doldo, “which is ridiculous because to me that is a safety issue.” However, the new gun law has been scrutinized and sometimes misunderstood. According to a statement released from Governor Cuomo's office, “No police officer possessing ammunition clips with more than seven bullets is in violation of the law or guilty of any crime, period.”
ABC50 spoke with Jefferson County resident John Maciag, who suggested various ways that gun violence could be reduced without strict gun laws. “There are various methods that could make guns safer” said Mr. Maciag, “such as fingerprint censors on guns, which would allow for only the gun owner to be able to use the gun.” According to Maciag, another safety measure would be to install RFID chips in guns. “RFID chips are tracking devices. Most cell phones have them,” explained Maciag, “so, if someone steals your gun, you can track them down.” However, there have been counter arguments that claim people would figure out how to fry or disable an RFID chip.
This evening, Jefferson County citizens and Legislators will be gathering at the Board of Legislators meeting to pass a resolution, rejecting Governor Cuomo’s NY SAFE ACT.
