Assemblymen Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) and Michael Montesano (R,I,C-Glen Head), ranking minority member on the Assembly Oversight, Analysis and Investigation Committee, held a legislative meeting about Gov. Cuomo’s gun control law in Watertown. According to the testimony from local officials including sheriffs’ departments, county clerks and county mental health departments, entire communities overwhelmingly oppose the overreaching law. The law infringes on Second and Fourth Amendment rights and is yet another costly unfunded mandate that is difficult to implement and hampers the privacy rights of law-abiding citizens.

“It’s important that we learn what Gov. Cuomo’s gun control law is really doing to our communities, and overwhelmingly, residents are opposed to this Second Amendment-violating gun grab,” said Blankenbush. “Gov. Cuomo’s mess of a law is going be extremely costly for our local governments and hurt law-abiding citizens, with little impact on curbing gun violence, as was intended. Our citizens and communities deserve far better.”

More than 15 speakers from 10 different counties came to testify before the assemblymen. Sheriffs Michael Carpinelli of Lewis County; Reuel A. Todd of Oswego County; and Kevin Wells of St. Lawrence County testified at the event. County Clerk Michael Backus of Oswego County was also in attendance. Additionally, comments were made by Sarah Bullock, Acting Director of Mental Health Services and gun dealer Pete Crump, owner of Pete’s Guns. Officials from the Division of Criminal Justice Services, the Department of Health and the directors of Public Health and Community Services were also invited to speak but declined to attend.

“In regard to the NYSafe Act, it is refreshing to see the people and our local and state politicians working together to repeal this ‘law.’ But we would not be here if the powers that be had just used common sense and thought this process through, and not under the ‘Message of Necessity’ rule,” said Sheriff Carpinelli. “The elected officials, county and state level, need not be intimidated by Albany, but recognize that the citizens of this great state expect to be represented fairly and honestly on what is right and just for the people.”

Among the assemblymen’s chief concerns was how the law would impact law-abiding citizens. Blankenbush was satisfied by the efforts made by sheriffs, county clerks and mental health departments to try to protect the privacy of gun owners, but agreed that Gov. Cuomo’s law was not only complicated but costly to implement. Blankenbush said the incident that occurred in Western New York, where an Amherst man’s pistol permit was revoked and his private health records were revealed could be attributed more to the complicated and murky nature of the governor’s gun control law.

In addition to curbing the constitutional rights outlined by the Second Amendment, Cuomo’s gun control law is proving to be a great unfunded burden on local communities, as sheriff’s departments are charged with the responsibility to enforce the law, clerks are responsible for permit records and the mental health department is charged with reporting flagged individuals to the Department of Criminal Justice Services. It is currently unknown how much it will cost each county individually, but the estimates are high.

Blankenbush is recommending full repeal of the governor’s gun control law, citing the many problems that local officials discussed and the many comments his office has received from constituents.