New York is a National Leader in Smart Gun Laws that Save Lives

(New York, NY) As the second anniversary of the murder of twenty children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School approaches, the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence is releasing its fourth Annual Gun Law State Scorecard, assigning letter grades to all 50 states based on their gun laws. The Scorecard captures the unprecedented momentum in the fight for smart gun laws in 2014, particularly with regards to background checks, gun violence restraining orders, and laws that keep guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers.

This year, New York received an A- (on a scale of F to A+) for its fight for smart gun laws in 2014. Last year New York also received a grade of A-.

States across the country have seen historic progress on gun laws, with a total of 99 new laws strengthening gun regulations passed in 37 states since December 14, 2012. Ten states, led by New York, have made major overhauls to their gun laws including:

New York closed the private sale loophole just weeks after the Sandy Hook massacre and now requires background checks on all gun and ammunition sales, which will keep guns out of the wrong hands. Congress failed to expand background checks in April 2013 which is why gun deaths nationally have risen nearly 6% from 2010 – 2012. Whereas in New York State, gun deaths have fallen 3.4% over the same period.

New York requires recertification of pistol permits every five years and provides stronger protections for victims of domestic violence by keeping guns out of the hands of their abusers.

New York passed a stronger assault weapons ban making it illegal to purchase the Bushmaster AR-15 used in the Newtown massacre and in the Webster murders of two first responders on Christmas Eve, 2012. There is also a requirement to register assault weapons possessed prior to January 15, 2013, with the New York State Police.

It is also important that Congress act. Our state gun laws are undermined by surrounding states with weaker laws. Guns can be easily purchased in states like Virginia, Pennsylvania and Florida and then brought into New York, circumventing our laws. 90% of the crime guns recovered on the streets of New York City and 68% for the state as a whole originate from states with weak gun laws. That’s why we need federal legislation to cut down on the flow of illegal guns into New York communities.

The Annual Gun Law State Scorecard reveals a strong correlation between gun laws and gun deaths – states with the weakest laws like Mississippi and Louisiana (ranked 48 and 50 out of 50), have some of the highest gun death rates in the country (3 and 2, respectively), while states with strong laws, like New York and Massachusetts (ranked 5 and 6 out of 50) have some of the lowest gun death rates (47 and 50, respectively).

“New York has some of the smartest gun laws in the country, and it has resulted in the nation’s fourth lowest gun death rate nationwide, with not a single school shooting in our state since the tragedy at Sandy Hook,” said Leah Gunn Barrett, Executive Director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence. “But in 2012, 977 New Yorkers – 86 youth and teens – died from gun violence, so we must continue to make progress such as passing Nicholas’s Law to protect our children from the danger of unsecured guns in the home. We also need to pass stronger gun dealer regulations to prevent the diversion of guns into the illegal market, guns that end up on our streets, killing and maiming so many of our young people.”

Barrett also called for lawmakers to pass microstamping, ‘DNA for guns,’ a technology that would allow law enforcement to solve gun crimes by providing a link back to the original purchaser of the gun. Barrett added, “Microstamping is supported by the New York law enforcement community. We call on all legislators to get this bill passed in 2015 so our law enforcement officials will have the tools they need to crack down on gun crimes.”

Barrett concluded, “It’s simple: Smart Gun Laws work by keeping guns out of the wrong hands – those of felons, terrorists, domestic abusers, the seriously mentally ill – and out of the hands of our most vulnerable citizens – our children.”

The Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence has been on the frontlines in many of the fights for smart gun laws in 2014. The Law Center provided the model law Washington State used as a guide for its background check ballot initiative, worked closely with state lawmakers who crafted California’s historic Gun Violence Restraining Order bill, and supported domestic violence gun legislation across the country.

For more details on the state of gun laws in America in 2014, explore the Annual State Gun Law Scorecard at gunlawscorecard.org.

New Yorkers Against Gun Violence is a statewide advocacy group working to reduce gun violence through advocacy and education designed to encourage action, influence public opinion and lead to policy change. With a primary focus on New York State, the organization also advocates at the local and national levels for sensible laws, policies and practices that protect New York State residents from gun violence. www.nyagv.org.

The Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence was founded after the 1993 shooting in San Francisco that left eight dead. Today, it is a national law center focused on providing comprehensive legal expertise in support of gun violence prevention. As a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, the Law Center is dedicated to preventing the loss of lives caused by gun violence, by providing trusted, in-depth legal expertise and information on America’s gun laws. The Law Center partners with state legislators, advocates, community groups and others to advance its mission to prevent gun violence in America. www.smartgunlaws.org.