Yesterday, the state of New York passed the first piece of gun control legislation since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Governor Andrew Cuomo quickly signed the bill into law.
The New York legislation is considered one of the strictest gun control measures in the country. The new legislation expands the definition of what is considered an assault weapon, mandates a police registry of assault weapons and a state registry of all private gun sales, bans the internet sale of assault weapons, and restricts magazines to seven bullets. In addition, under the new law a therapist who believes that a patient has made a legitimate threat to use a gun for illegal reasons must report the threat to a mental health director who will then report threats to the state.
New York state Senator Jeffrey Klein (D-Bronx) told reporters on Monday “This is not about taking anyone’s rights away. It’s about a safe society … we are setting the mark for the rest of the county to do what’s right.” Governor Cuomo said right before signing the legislation into law “You can overpower the extremists with intelligence and common sense.”
