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JAMESTOWN, NY (WNY News Now) – Chautauqua County’s representative in New York State’s Senate says this week’s court ruling that halted parts of a new controversial gun law, “was only a matter of time.”
On Thursday, a U.S. District Judge put key provisions of the measure on hold. Earlier this month, the statehouse passed legislation which restricted who can carry a handgun in public and where firearms can be brought; among other provisions.
“Some of the things that were struck down were these ridiculous background checks that required you to surrender your social media logins and other things that were clearly a violation of the second amendment,” explained Senator George Borrello.
Designed to protect public safety, the rules were part of a sweeping gun law that went into effect on September 1. Six gun owners from upstate New York challenged its legal authority.
“We have seen our state become far more dangerous since the implementation of bail reform and other things that have made New York very much more dangerous and people are no longer feeling like their government is listening to them and is looking out for them,” Borrello said.
The judge gave the state three business days to seek emergency relief before a federal appeals court, which will ultimately decide the future of the measure.
“The bottom line is, if we’re going to solve the issues of violence, whether it be with guns or any other kind of violence, our state needs to return to understanding that public safety means having the willingness to take on those who are dangerous, take dangerous people out of society,” Borrello explained.
Those who disagree with the gun restrictions, are asked to speak out.
“I would say that anyone who is a common sense individual would understand that not only is this a violation of your constitutional rights, but it’s also misplaced. This is not going to do anything to solve those problems. Reality is, whether it’s people that have violent tendencies, people that cannot be rehabilitated, or people with severe mental health issues, the fact that our state government is protecting those people instead of helping them and keeping citizens safe is the real issue,” said Borrello.
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