Statement From Sen. Gallivan on 2013 State of the State Address

The Governor’s State of the State outlined an expansive and comprehensive vision for our state and its future. I am especially encouraged to see Governor Cuomo make the upstate economy a continued priority of his administration, and the specific attention he paid to bolstering Upstate’s agriculture and tourism industries – two sectors vital to the continued economic recovery of Western New York.

Appropriately so, the Governor dedicated a considerable portion of his address to the topics of violence and firearms. As a former State Trooper and Sheriff of Erie County, I understand the devastation gun violence can have on communities. I am committed to working with the Governor and fellow legislators to make New York State’s schools and neighborhoods the safest in the country by imposing strict new measures to eliminate illegal guns from our streets; increase mandatory sentencing for those convicted of gun crimes and illegal possession; and finding innovative new solutions, like firearm interdiction, to combat the flow of illegal guns from out of state.

New York State has experienced historic progress the last two years, and I expect our state to continue down a path that is fiscally responsible and economically prosperous.