Cuomo spoke this morning about prioritizing my domestic violence gun bill. I am very grateful for his interest in this issue. I issued the following statement as a response.While we lead in New York with some of the strictest gun laws in the nation and the lowest firearm homicide rates, domestic violence victims in our state are still in grave danger because legal protections for their safety come up short.
Here in New York, a gray area in between state and federal laws allows some convicted domestic violence offenders to retain access to firearms. While federal law stipulates that someone found guilty of a misdemeanor domestic abuse charge cannot possess any firearms, state law is not consistent.
In other words, a person who is found guilty of a crime that results in him not being able to buy or own a gun under federal law can keep the one he already possessed under New York law.
My legislation would outline an unambiguous legal procedure, provide uniformity in the courts, and ensure that abusers cannot keep the guns they are prohibited from possessing.
As a result of the most recent shootings in California, Las Vegas and Texas, we have come to face the fact that no New Yorker is safe from the lethal rage of an armed domestic abuser, even those with no relationship to his victims.
We must work together to find ways to combat domestic violence and reduce the danger that perpetrators pose to victims and communities alike by enacting common-sense solutions that will save lives.
I want to thank Governor Cuomo for prioritizing my legislation and working towards protecting all New Yorkers from the epidemic of gun violence.
Assemblywoman Amy Paulin 