BREAKING: NY Assembly Passes SAFE Act; Strictest Gun Control Bill in the Nation

January 15th: Tuesday night the New York Assembly passed the NY SAFE (Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement) Act with a vote of 104-43. Some are praising the bill while some lawmakers say that the bill was rushed:

“This bill tramples on the constitutional rights of our citizens,” said Assemblyman Marc Butler, a Republican from upstate Herkimer county.

Butler was one of several Republican Assembly members who voiced strong disapproval for the bill. He and others worried about the impact of the new law on New York gun manufacturer Remington Arms, based in Ilion, N.Y. The law would render some of Remington’s products illegal, like the AR-15 rifle used in the Newtown, Conn., shootings.

Republican lawmakers said the bill was rushed through by Cuomo so that he could make national headlines.

via The Wall Street Journal

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, at a news conference at the Capital, said he was proud “not just because New York has the first bill, but because New York has the best bill.”

The bill not only broadens the definition of “Assault Weapons” but also bans “High Capacity Magazines”. It will also increase penalties for gun related crime and will make it easier to revoke gun licenses of those they deem mentally ill.

Cuomo gun bill fact sheet by Casey Seiler

This all takes place one day before President Obama is scheduled to deliver his own recommendations which could include issuing Executive Orders for tighter gun laws.