Stec: Federal Court Ruling Further Proof State's New Gun Control Laws Violate Second Amendment Right

Senator Dan Stec (R,C-Queensbury) today hailed a federal court ruling blocking several provisions of the state’s new gun control legislation as a major win for law-abiding gun owners in New York State. U.S. District Judge Glenn Suddaby cited six pieces of the recently enacted law as unconstitutional, including new background checks for permits, the disclosure of private social media accounts, banning gun possession on certain public and private properties and the vague mandate that permit applicants demonstrate they have “good moral character.”

            During his debate against this bill this past July, Stec noted that the legislation contained numerous measures that were certain to be deemed unconstitutional in court. Judge Suddaby’s ruling serves as confirmation of that statement, and Stec urged Governor Hochul and legislative Democrat leaders to focus their energies on addressing crime in New York State instead of taking actions that undermine the Second Amendment right of law-abiding gun owns.

            “The ruling today from Judge Suddaby proves what I’ve been saying since this bill was passed in July: it’s an unconstitutional measure that infringes on the right of our lawful gun owners,” said Stec. “Governor Hochul and Democrat leaders were so focused on scoring political points, that they rushed through a sloppy, ill-conceived law that does nothing to address the rising crime rates in New York.

            “Instead of using the Second Amendment as a political football, I urge them to do the right thing and take up common sense public safety reforms,” he continued. “Let’s crack down on violent offenders and actual criminals, not honest men and women using their constitutional right.”