New York acted. Will Washington?

New York acted. Will Washington? New York recently strengthened its gun laws. Washington should follow its lead. Dear Friend, I'm writing to share important news: Last week Governor Andrew Cuomo signed six new gun safety laws that NYAGV advocated for over many years. We're grateful to Governor Cuomo and the State Legislature for having the leadership and courage to take action and save lives. Washington needs to follow New York's lead. Our state is a leader in strong gun laws--and that's why we have one of the lowest rates of gun deaths in the country. The laws recently enacted include a child access prevention law to prevent unintentional shootings, teen suicides, school shootings, and gun thefts; an extension of the time period allowed for background checks; and bans on bump stocks and 3-D printed guns. (More details on the new laws below!) And already on the books, our state bans assault weapons and high-capacity magazines--measures that if enacted on the federal level, would have helped prevent many of the mass shootings we've witnessed over the last few days, weeks, and years across the country. Mass shootings are a tragedy--as is the daily gun violence that affects underserved communities and doesn't always make the news. Guns continue to be trafficked into New York's communities from weak-gun-law states--targeting our marginalized communities of color. To reduce gun crimes in New York and across the country, we need federal gun laws that strengthen background checks, ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and remove guns from those who are a danger to themselves or others. Washington must take action to protect all Americans. Please demand it today! Call the President at 202-456-1111 or 202-456-1414 or email him here.  Call Mitch McConnell--who had repeatedly blocked consideration of any common sense gun laws--at (202) 224-2541 or email him here. We still have work to do to protect our communities and families and we are grateful for your support.  Thank you. Sincerely, Rebecca Fischer, Executive Director New York State laws recently enacted: Safe Storage/Child Access Prevention—requires gun owners who live with children, or who know a child could gain access, to safely store their weapons when not in their immediate possession or control. Ban on Undetectable “Ghost” Guns—Bans the manufacturing, sale, transport, and possession of firearms, rifles, shotguns, and the major components of 3-D printed guns and other weapons undetectable by X-ray machines. Background Check Extensions—Extends the number of days from three to 30 days allowed for law enforcement to complete a background check. Bump Stock Ban–Prohibits the possession, manufacture, transport and disposition of rapid-fire modification devices, also known as “bump stocks." Ban on Arming Educators–Prohibits schools (K-12) from arming teachers, administrators, or other persons not primarily employed as a school resource officer, law enforcement officer, or security officer. Gun Buyback Program -- Directs the New York State Police to develop a statewide standard for gun buyback programs. Earlier this year, the state also enacted the Extreme Risk "Red Flag" Protection Order Law ("ERPO") to temporarily remove guns from individuals who have demonstrated they are a danger to themselves or others. Click here for further details on these new laws. Click here for information on NYAGV's new summer youth education programs to reduce gun violence.

www.nyagv.org