Categories: Editorial, Opinion

The concept is simple: If you want to come into our state and obtain a gun, you need to abide by our laws.

And it happens that some of our laws are tougher than the laws in your state.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, as part of his steady roll-out of State of the State initiatives, earlier this week proposed building upon New York’s stringent gun laws by barring people convicted of certain violent crimes in other states from buying or owning a gun in New York,

The proposal would not add any new restrictions on the rules for obtaining firearms that apply to current New York residents.

The state already restricts access to firearms for those convicted of serious misdemeanor offenses, including those related to domestic violence, unlicensed possession of a firearm and certain sex offenses. In addition, the federal government has its own limited restrictions on access to guns from state to state.

But certain crimes in other states don’t meet New York’s stringent standards.

The governor’s proposal would ensure that out-of-state residents who attempt to purchase a gun in New York comply with our strict restrictions on access by considering misdemeanors committed in other states that are comparable to New York’s restrictions.

Right now, a domestic violence offense committed in another state, for instance, might not get you flagged in a New York background check. This new proposal would make sure you are.

The statute, according to the governor’s office, would authorize licensing entities to search for such crimes when someone applies for a gun permit and to deny licenses for those who’ve committed the comparable crimes.

The law also would prevent someone seeking to renew a gun license if they’ve been convicted of a qualifying crime since the time the license was last issued.

Because the proposal only affects out-of-state residents coming into New York trying to purchase a gun, the state’s Second Amendment lobby shouldn’t have a problem with this, in that all it does is apply the existing state law to outsiders.

The gun lobby might have a problem with the state restrictions as they are, but that’s a separate argument.

The only people who could legitimately object to this proposal are criminals from other states, and we don’t really care what they think.

This proposed change in the state Penal Law closes a loophole and ensures that anyone who wants to purchase a gun in New York — residents and non-residents — is treated equally.