Prevention is the best way to keep our families and loved ones safe from terrorism. Assemblywoman Paulin supports legislation that will help prevent terrorist attacks on our families by stepping up security at vulnerable targets like Indian Point, and providing law enforcement with the tools they need to put terrorists behind bars.

• Authorizes the Office of Public Security to assess the safety of New York State’s transportation system such as subways and trains, and brief the state legislature on its findings
• Directs the state comptroller to administer a program to improve the accuracy of criminal background checks

• Increases penalties for terrorists and their accomplices and creates mandatory life sentences without parole for chemical and biological weapons crimes
• Requires all persons convicted of terrorism crimes to submit DNA samples to the DNA databank
• Adds terrorism to the list of crimes for which eavesdropping warrants can be obtained

• Improves the safety of our smaller aviation facilities like Westchester County Airport by creating a grants and loan program for new security measures, and by requiring them to adhere to certain specific security guidelines
• Increases security at Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant, as well as reservoirs

The Assembly has been working to develop a statewide emergency response communications network that would allow all state and local first responders to communicate with each other. The Assembly is also working to provide emergency personnel with adequate equipment by:

• Requiring the Office of Public Security to consult with local first responders to ensure equipment is provided in a timely manner and meets local needs
• Establishing a centralized grant office to provide one-stop grant information to municipalities
• Creating a low-interest emergency first responder revolving loan fund with priority given to municipalities that share resources

As part of the Assembly’s gun safety package, which passed the Assembly on March 15, 2004, Paulin sponsored a bill that imposes stricter regulations on gun dealers to stop the flow of illegal weapons and prevents minors from gaining access to guns without an adult (A.8456-B).

The package also includes common sense measures that will keep dangerous firearms out of the hands of children and criminals – preventing tragedies and the threat of violence by:

• Creating a penalty of up to seven years in prison for unsafe storage of a weapon that a child uses to cause serious harm (A.4615-C)
• Banning the sale of any gun that can be operated by the average 5-year-old (A.3311)
• Preventing violent felons from owning a gun, including those who receive a certificate of good conduct or a certificate of relief from disabilities from a parole board (A.4428)
• Imposing a ban on .50-caliber sniper rifles, which are capable of disabling armored personnel carriers (A.7039)

Since the September 11th terrorist attacks, Westchester families have become increasingly concerned about the potential harm we all face due to the presence of the Indian Point nuclear facility. New York State’s second-to-last per capita share of federal anti-terrorism funding is unacceptable. We need our fair share of funding from the federal government to help prevent terrorism and keep our families safe.

Assemblywoman Paulin is working to get the help we need. She recently sponsored a package of legislation that will improve security throughout New York.

According to the Westchester Children’s Association, for each death from firearm violence nationwide, there are almost four times as many people wounded by firearms. In Westchester, where we average 45 deaths each year from firearm violence, that ratio would mean that more than 180 people each year are injured by firearm violence. Many of these injuries and deaths could have been prevented.

That’s why Assemblywoman Paulin sponsored comprehensive legislation, which recently passed the Assembly, designed to protect our families from gun violence and keep guns out of the wrong hands.