(New York City, NY) New Yorkers Against Gun Violence called on Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, a candidate for New York governor, to explain his opposition to the New York SAFE Act when he appears today in the Bronx.
Astorino has repeatedly criticized the landmark gun safety law, passed by a bipartisan legislature and signed by Governor Cuomo in January 2013. He is on record as saying that it is “a bad law that accomplished nothing.”
The New York SAFE Act closed the private sale loophole by requiring background checks on all gun sales. It strengthened the ban on military-style assault weapons like the Bushmaster AR-15 used by Adam Lanza in Newtown. It makes the murder of a first-responder who is engaged in his or her duties a Class A-1 felony, and it establishes tougher penalties for those who use illegal guns in the commission of a crime. Judge William Skretny of the Federal District Court in Buffalo ruled at the end of last year that the NY SAFE Act is constitutional and cited its role in furthering the state’s important interest in public safety.
Leah Gunn Barrett, Executive Director of NYAGV, said, “New Yorkers–and especially residents of the Bronx, where gun violence is a significant problem–deserve to know what part of the NY SAFE Act Rob Astorino doesn’t like. Is he against banning military-style assault weapons whose only purpose is to kill large numbers of people as quickly as possible as we saw in Newtown? Does he disagree with requiring criminal background checks on gun sales to keep guns out of the hands of felons, domestic abusers and the seriously mentally ill? Does he think it’s a bad law because it makes the murder of a first responder a Class A-1 felony? Is he against imposing tougher penalties on those who use illegal guns?”
Barrett continued, “Thanks to New York’s strong gun safety laws our state has the fourth lowest gun death rate in the nation. Rob Astorino needs to stop pandering to the corporate gun lobby and stand up for the safety of all New Yorkers.”
New Yorkers Against Gun Violence
New Yorkers Against Gun Violence (NYAGV) is a statewide advocacy group working to reduce gun violence through advocacy and education designed to encourage action, influence public opinion and lead to policy change. With a primary focus on New York State, the organization also advocates at the local and national levels for sensible gun laws, policies and practices that protect New York state residents from gun violence. There are solutions to gun violence and citizens can make their voices heard by signing up to become a member of NYAGV at www.nyagv.org.
