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Gun rights activists urge rejection of Cuomo's legislative proposals

Thomas O'Neil-White

A local activist group says it will do its best to obstruct and defy any new gun control legislation from the state. 2AWNY.COM is calling 2020 a “year of defiance” against what it perceives to be the continued erosion of the right to bear arms in New York State.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in his State of the State message, proposed preventing anyone who committed a serious crime in another state from owning a gun in New York State. He is also seeking a ban on untraceable so-called “ghost guns” by requiring firearm parts to have serial numbers.

2A founder Steve Felano urged gun owners to ignore any new legislation.

“The proposals that the governor put out to us yesterday were poorly thought out, do not comport with the Constitution,” he said. “And in my view are completely unenforceable.”

Felano outlined a six-point “roadmap” for hindering any further attempts of further encroachment on the 2nd Amendment. Those plans includes litigation, adding 2nd Amendment education into school curriculums and creating an independent advisory board to oversee gun confiscations.

Alongside Felano at a news conference Thursday was Duane Whitmer, a Libertarian running to fill Chris Collins’ vacated 27th District congressional seat. He said the governor is too preoccupied with garnering headlines than improving the state.

Credit Thomas O'Neil-White
Duane Whitmer, Erie County Libertarian Party Chairman

“New York State is one of the highest taxed states in the nation [and] one of the least business-friendly states in the nation. Biggest population loss in the nation, wealth loss in the nation. People with money are leaving this state because the taxation and regulations are so overbearing,” Whitmer said.

Whitmer said the 10-year assault weapons ban that began in 1994 did nothing to deter school shootings in that timeframe and Cuomo’s proposals will do more of the same.

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Thomas moved to Western New York at the age of 14. A graduate of Buffalo State College, he majored in Communications Studies and was part of the sports staff for WBNY. When not following his beloved University of Kentucky Wildcats and Boston Red Sox, Thomas enjoys coaching youth basketball, reading Tolkien novels and seeing live music.
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