NY Gov. Cuomo Proposes Strict Gun Control Laws


In the past month, the United States has suffered multiple tragedies related to gun violence—some of them televised, but most of them not. The event that comes to mind for most people is the recent shooting in Connecticut, which left 20 first graders and six adults dead. The nation has since been immersed in a heated discussion about gun control laws, some calling for stricter laws and others arguing that the current laws will do.

Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo made his third State of the State address on Wednesday, January 9th. In it, he called for a tightening of gun control laws that would be the country’s toughest yet.

“Guns have both a noble and tragic tradition in America and in New York State,” Cuomo wrote in a message to the Legislature. He noted the nation’s desire to retain ownership rights, but warned that when placed in the wrong hands, “guns are also weapons of untold destruction and heartbreak.”

Cuomo’s proposal would ban all assault weapons with military features and large capacity magazines holding more than seven bullets. These types of militaristic weapons are “unneeded and unwanted for hunting and sporting purposes,” Cuomo argued.

The governor also wants to close two loopholes in the law: one that allows rifles and large capacity clips made before 1994 to be sold legally (despite current bans) and another, which allows private firearms sales to be exempt from background checks.

His laws would also address issues with mental health that have become such a focus in the past few weeks. Licenses would need to be renewed every few years and all licensing agencies would follow statewide regulations and requirements. Mental health changes would also be monitored, and police would be allowed to suspend weapons and licenses for those deemed by mental health professionals to be a potential danger with a firearm.

Consequences for the illegal purchase of weapons or their use on school property would be beefed up, as would penalties for those participating in “serious” and violent gang activity relating to drugs.

With these new proposals, Cuomo is aiming for New York to set the stage for other states to follow. Tightening laws in such a way would certainly make the state a leader on the issue, as it would be the first to pass such drastic measures following the Sandy Hook tragedy last month.

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