N.Y. first state to tighten gun laws after Newtown

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a package of tougher gun measures Tuesday, soon after the state Assembly voted to bolster the state's ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

The Democrat-dominated Assembly passed the provision Tuesday by a 104-43 vote after the state Senate approved it by a wide margin late Monday.

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The signing makes New York the first state to enact tighter restrictions on guns after the Dec. 14 massacre in Newtown, Conn., in which 28 people died including 20 children.

"I am proud to be a New Yorker today," Cuomo said shortly before signing the bill. "I am proud to be part of this government, not just because New York has the first bill, but because New York has the best bill."

The gun-control package makes changes and additions to a broad swath of state law, ranging from requiring universal background checks for all gun and ammunition sales, boosting the state's power to confiscate firearms from the mentally ill and increasing penalties for gun-related crime.

"We proceeded, one month after the tragedy of Sandy Hook, to say to the nation: It's not acceptable to ignore the common-sense things governments can do to stem gun violence," said Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins of Yonkers.

The new laws provide for an immediate ban on semi-automatic rifles, shotguns and pistols with a "military-style feature," such as a flash suppressor or a bayonet mount. Guns that had been legal but are being banned would be grandfathered in, but their owners must register their firearms with the state or sell them out of state within one year.

Magazines are limited to a maximum capacity of seven bullets, down from the current 10.

The legislation includes a "Webster provision," a life-without-parole sentence for anyone convicted of killing a first responder. The provision is a reference to the Christmas Eve shooting in a Rochester, N.Y., suburb where two firefighters were shot and killed.

An additional provision permits gun licensees to opt out of having their personal information available to the public under the state's Freedom of Information law. It was inserted in response to a controversy that erupted after The (Westchester, N.Y.) Journal News published an interactive map with names and addresses of handgun-permit holders in two suburban New York counties.

For the first 120 days of the new law, no information on gun licenses will be available to the public, then the opt-out provision will take effect. People who already have licenses will be able to fill out a form at their county clerks' offices to opt out.

Criticism from gun rights advocates and a number of Republicans in the state Legislature was swift.

The National Rifle Association, which had previously labeled Cuomo as "America's most-anti-gun governor," expressed "outrage" at the "draconian gun-control bill that was rushed through the process."

"Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature orchestrated a secretive end-run around the legislative and democratic process and passed sweeping anti-gun measures with no committee hearings and no public input," the lobbying group wrote in a statement.

The Assembly's debate on the package stretched for more than 4 1/2 hours Tuesday. Various Republicans expressed dissatisfaction with it and with Cuomo's decision to allow a vote without the mandatory three-day aging period. Cuomo issued a "message of necessity," which allows lawmakers to vote on a bill immediately after it is introduced.

Assemblyman Steve Katz, a Republican from the New York City suburb of Yorktown, said the bill — known as the New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act, or NY SAFE — is based on Cuomo's "misguided, egotistic notion that this will advance his presidential aspirations."

"Why are we being bullied into voting on this bill without proper, responsible due diligence?" Katz asked.

Others have accused Cuomo of trying to seize headlines by rushing a bill through the Legislature to become the first state to act after Newtown.

"Cuomo seized the opportunity to exploit tragedy and put his own personal politics ahead of sound public policy," the NRA wrote in an alert sent to its members.

Cuomo defended his decision to rush the legislation to a vote, which he said was in part to prevent a run on sales of soon-to-be-banned assault weapons.

"As soon as people found out that I was proposing a specific law that was going to ban the sale of assault weapons, we were afraid it would actually cause a rush on the market on people who wanted to buy assault weapons," Cuomo told reporters.

The new gun laws received praise from New York City Michael Bloomberg, a staunch gun-control advocate whose Mayors Against Illegal Guns initiative has aired television advertisements pushing for tougher laws.

"The responsible and comprehensive gun reform bills the governor signed into law today will help keep guns away from criminals and others who are already prohibited from purchasing them," Bloomberg said in a statement.

Contributing: Joseph Spector and Jessica Bakeman, Gannett Albany Bureau