Senator Kathy Marchione announces real progress in fight against the unconstitutional SAFE Act, hails passage of common sense reforms that would begin restoring the Second Amendment freedoms of law-abiding gun owners

Albany, NY – Hailing it as “major progress in the fight for freedom,” Senator Kathy Marchione (R,C,I-Halfmoon), Chair of the Senate’s Local Government Committee, today announced the passage of Senate Bill S.5837, a comprehensive measure that would make important reforms to the unconstitutional SAFE Act. The measure would restore the Second Amendment freedoms of law-abiding New Yorkers if the State Assembly follows the Senate’s lead and passes the common sense reforms.

Senator Marchione, who has led the fight against the unconstitutional SAFE Act from her very first day when she voted against the measure, co-sponsored the reform legislation that passed the Senate during today’s session. The bill would enact several important reforms to alleviate some of the most draconian burdens imposed on law-abiding New Yorkers by the unconstitutional SAFE Act. The SAFE Act reforms that Senator Marchione voted for, and passed the Senate today, included the following:

• Full repeal of the ammunition database;
   
• Reaffirming the right of New Yorkers to inherit a semi-automatic rifle that is owned by a family-member so that these firearms can be legally passed from one generation to the next;
   
• Strengthening privacy protections for gun owners by preventing public disclosure of personal information contained on firearms licenses;
   
• Stronger due process provisions, requiring notification if someone is placed on any list alleging mental health concerns that could affect their right to own firearms; and
   
• Restoring responsibility to local County Clerks and licensing officials to oversee handgun recertification, and shifting control of New York’s pistol permit database away from the State Police to an administrative, non-law enforcement agency.

“Today represents real progress in the fight for freedom. We took aim at the unconstitutional SAFE Act and achieved some crucial – and long overdue – reforms that will begin restoring the Second Amendment rights of law abiding New Yorkers. I am proud to have opposed the unconstitutional SAFE Act from day one. Today’s positive steps were the result of years of hard work and tireless advocacy by millions of patriotic, law-abiding gun owners who never tired, never wavered and never stopped believing that we could make real change happen,” Senator Marchione said.

“While today’s steps are great news for gun owners and sellers, we need to do more, a lot more. We need to get the State Assembly to act and pass these crucial, common sense reforms before the end of session so they can become law. Our founding fathers were clear and unambiguous: our constitutional right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. I will continue opposing the unconstitutional SAFE Act and keep working to chip away at its provisions until every law-abiding gun owner in New York State can realize the promise of our Constitution and fully exercise their Second Amendment freedoms,” Senator Marchione said.

Senator Marchione has led the opposition in New York State to the unconstitutional SAFE Act, having voted against the measure on her first full legislative day. Senator Marchione also launched an on-line petition against the unconstitutional SAFE Act that received more than 130,000 signatures, the largest response for an on-line petition in the history of the New York State Senate. Senator Marchione has introduced two full repeal bills that would completely remove the unconstitutional SAFE Act: Senate Bills S.1193 (19 co-sponsors) and S.1476 (17 co-sponsors), both measures have Assembly companions.

In recognition of her championing the Second Amendment, Senator Marchione was named a “Legislator of the Year” in 2013 by the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association (NYSRPA) and also was honored as “Legislator of the Year” by the Shooter’s Committee On Political Education (S.C.O.P.E.) in 2014. Senator Marchione earned an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA) and an “A+” rating from the NYSRPA, one of only two Senators to receive such a prestigious recognition.

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