Lawmakers and Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office are discussing a number of gun-related issues behind closed doors, including the possibility of a statewide handgun registry, according to a top Senate Republican.
Senate Deputy Majority Leader Thomas Libous, R-Binghamton, confirmed that negotiations on gun legislation are currently taking place, while cautioning that the issues will more likely be taken up in 2013 rather than before the end of the year.
“I don’t know that you’re going to see an immediate special session but I do know things are being talked about,” Libous told WNBF-AM in his hometown of Binghamton.
Among the issues being discussed is the possibility of establishing a statewide registry for pistol permits, Libous said. Currently, those records are kept on a county-by-county basis.
“We have a county-by-county pistol registry,” he said. “I’m not sure that makes a lot of sense. We might want to have some sort of a uniform registry statewide.
Libous said he would like to focus on creating some sort of a separate registry to keep track of mental-health patients who could have access to guns. He did not get into specifics, but said it is among the topics being negotiated in private.
“These are all of the things that we’re talking about,” Libous said. “I don’t want to get anybody excited but I do believe something will get done. We’re also waiting to see what kind of proposals the federal government makes because we do have tough gun laws in New York state.”
Several reports Wednesday said Cuomo and the Legislature could return to Albany to take up gun-control legislation by the end of the year. Libous said it’s more likely that something will be taken up in 2013, when the Legislature is next scheduled to return to the Capitol.
“I don’t see it coming together over the holiday,” Libous said. “There’s just too many key things that need to be addressed.”
UPDATED: Senate Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, said the Legislature “must come together to do the right thing and make our cities and communities safer.”
“The Senate Democratic Conference has been a long time supporter of common sense gun laws and we welcome news that a special session to address these laws is being discussed,” she sad in a statement. “We stand ready to offer our support.”
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“UPDATED: Senate Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, said the Legislature “must come together to do the right thing and make our cities and communities safer.”
MAYBE SHE CAN START BY CLEANING UP HER OWN NEIGHBORHOOD OF YONKERS.
Actually, the state police already have all the pistol license information, and that is updated regularly. Background checks are also periodically run at the state level on all permits. Prior to a policy change, a group had acquired the list of pistol permits by FOIL and published them. While that didn’t make gun owners happy, it made the point that license information is held at the state level.
Hopefully they leave the ususal microstamping nonsense out of this and just discuss how to deal with keeping firearms out of the hands of criminals and mentaly infirmed without infringing on the rights fo everyone else.
First and foremost, isn’t this the reason we have the Assembly and Senate – to debate such measures? Why are these bills being discussed behind closed doors? As a voter, I would like to have my say in the legislative process too, and believe the matters belong discussed in the public arena, not in Governor Cuomo’s office.
The last time I checked, there hadn’t been any problems with NY’s county-by-county licensing method. The state police do maintain a central registry of all permit holders already as another of these posts pointed out.
If the Senate Republican caucus even considers voting in favor of micro stamping, I will devote the remainder of my existence to supporting any one who runs against those senators in the future. Make no mistake about it Senator Libous – I will collect cans and bottles to return for their deposit so I can donate every and all extra money I have to support any one who runs against those members of the Republican Senate caucus who vote in favor of this stupidity.
If they truly want to make a difference, they need to stop blaming inanimate objects for the evil man does and start providing the mental health information to the federal government as required. Part of the NICS (background check) is the mental health piece and NY does not provide the information. While I understand the states are supposed to receive federal funding to do anything mandated to the states by the federal government and the Feds haven’t provided funds. Why don’t we start there. Start with the legislature demanding the Feds provide the required funding to make sure this information is gathered and provided so if a mentally derainged individual attempts to purchase a gun, they won’t be able to.