by Mark Lungariello ,
mlungariel@lohud.com, The Journal News
December 23, 2016
A veto is likely for
any gun-show ban.
Republicans
instead are proposing a law that would establish gun show procedures.
A
move to block the upcoming gun show at the Westchester County Center isn't
likely to go far, but stricter regulations are now on the table.
Mike
Kaplowitz, a Democrat and chairman of the Board of Legislators, said County
Executive Rob Astorino fueled the gun debate when he booked the show, the
first at the center in four years.
“The
speculation is this is just a crass political move on his part to garner support
in the county for his upcoming runs for county executive and governor,” he
said.
The
Republican incumbent is up for re-election next year and is eyeing a second run
for New York state governor in 2018, after he lost to Gov. Andrew Cuomo in
2014.
Kaplowitz
said he’ll fast-track a bill that would immediately ban gun shows on
county-owned property so that it’s voted on Jan. 9 – ahead of the gun show on
Jan. 21 and 22.
But,
the county executive will veto any bill banning gun shows, his spokesman Phil
Oliva confirmed Wednesday. An override would need 12 votes, and reaching
that number is impossible without support from a few of the seven Republicans
and one Conservative Party member on the 17-member board.
Counter proposal
As
a counter proposal to an outright ban, the Republican caucus is instead
proposing a law that would establish gun show procedures. The bill, which would
follow a model established by state Attorney General Eric T. Schiederman, would
make residents “feel more secure” about gun shows by having strict
requirements, the GOP caucus said in a joint statement.
“We
can take an important step in Westchester that will preserve the Constitutional
protections of citizens while assuring the public that a proven successful
procedure for the event is in place,” Republican Majority Leader John Testa
said in the statement.
The
proposed guidelines include requirements for tagging sold guns to show they’ve
met background checks under state law, the posting of signs about state
background-check requirements and police patrols to prevent illegal gun sales
outside of and around the building.
Kaplowitz
said he anticipates that second proposal will go to vote alongside the ban on
Jan. 9.
The public's view
Some
county residents said the debate is all for naught, with the vendors following
state laws and the gun shows being safe.
Greenburgh
resident Chris Coppolecchia, 37, said he’s thrilled to see a show back at the
center and said bans were politically motivated in a liberal-leaning county
where gun enthusiasts are in a minority.
By
taking money from hosting the show, the county isn’t taking a stand on the
issue, he said.
“The
subject matter shouldn’t matter much from having a comic-book show, tattoo show
or a pet rescue event,” he said. “Apparently, there is enough interest
from the public that will draw a sizeable enough of a crowd. It provides a safe
environment for people who share a common interest.”
Former
County Executive Andy Spano, a Democrat, enacted a gun-show ban at the center
after the 1999 Columbine High School massacre. Astorino lifted the ban upon
coming into office in 2010, but canceled a show scheduled for February 2013
after a gunman murdered 20 students and children at Sandy Hook Elementary
School in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012.
Astorino
is bringing the show back after several pushes from Democratic lawmakers to
pass a law that would ban gun shows at the center and all other county-owned
properties. News of the upcoming gun show caught Democratic legislators
off-guard, with Kaplowitz saying he only heard of the show when asked about it
by a Journal News/lohud.com reporter on Monday.
The
Democratic caucus quickly called for a vote on the dormant ban legislation.
The
county is expecting to take in between $40,000 and $50,000 over the two
days, according to Astorino’s spokesman. That includes a $23,000 flat fee, $2 per
ticket sold and parking and sales tax revenue. Chairman Kaplowitz has countered
that any income would be offset by the cost of added security at and around the
center.
