In a few short months, the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens have been significantly restricted by the governor’s hasty passage of his overreaching gun control law. The governor rushed to act first, rather than think thoroughly through the consequences.
I think that over the last month or so, I, along with many of you, have made a compelling argument that the governor’s gun control law does little to actually keep us safe, while making criminals out of law-abiding and responsible gun owners. Mistake after mistake has been discovered, whether it’s the limitations placed on our law enforcement or contradictions within the law itself, it’s clear this law is a mess. Its rules just don’t make sense to sensible people.
Worse yet is the great financial toll this law will have on our economy and taxpayers. One of the oldest employers in our state and one of the biggest in our region, Remington Arms, would be prohibited from selling certain weapons to New Yorkers. The governor’s law’s arbitrary bias toward modern rifles and their cosmetic features poses a real threat to jobs right here. Additionally, for those who live in the farther reaches of my district, new rules about modern rifle and ammunition sales will impact local mom-and-pop shops, putting further strain on small-business jobs in our communities. For a governor who touts his focus on renewing the upstate economy, I’d call this a massive and egregious oversight.
The governor’s misguided gun control law will cost taxpayers $36 million this year. I just want to be clear, the gun control law that no one wants, that won’t keep us safe, and that will be killing our jobs and economy will be costing you $36 million. The governor wants to spend your dollars on a nearly $33 million super-computer and 25 government agents at a cost of $3 million a year to essentially spy on law-abiding citizens. It’s an outrage to ask citizens to pay for a system that is designed to infringe on their constitutional freedoms.
The worst part is that we are borrowing most of this $36 million.
Anger aside, I think any citizen immersed in the difficult realities of tight family budgets and economic and job crunches throughout our communities can think of a dozen, if not hundreds, of better ways to invest $36 million. That money could go to schools so they don’t have to choose to cut important enrichment programs for our children. That money could be used to keep our roads and bridges safe. That money could be used to support our first responders and law enforcement. That money could be used to support public-private partnerships that keep communities and economies thriving and vibrant.
Certainly, the governor’s law is costing us our freedoms, but it also is costing us real and quantifiable jobs and money. This is one of the many reasons that legislators like me are offering legislation to repeal this ill-advised gun control law.
As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me with ideas, questions or concerns on this topic or any other legislative matter. I can be reached at either my Johnstown office at 518-762-6486, my Herkimer office 315-866-1632 or by e-mail at butlerm@assembly.state.ny.us. I hope to hear from you soon.