With the help of Lee Zeldin, this week, Republicans in the U.S. House pushed through a bill that would gut New York’s gun control laws and open the barn door to a flood of concealed, loaded firearms on New York streets.
The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act is a huge gift to the gun lobby and an attack on states like ours that have taken commonsense steps to protect our communities from gun violence. The bill would require New York to accept the porous gun laws in states like Mississippi and Arkansas, which allow virtually anyone to carry a concealed firearm anytime, anywhere—no permit required.
How much of a threat is this bill? If it passes the GOP-controlled Senate by December 31st, the NYPD would be unable to place any meaningful restrictions on loaded, concealed firearms in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. That is madness.
There’s a reason we’ve cut gun violence so dramatically in New York in recent years. Our sensible gun laws keep firearms away from dangerous individuals and restrict who may carry a concealed firearm. We can’t allow the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act to become law. If it does, our neighborhoods will become less safe and our police officers will be at greater risk.
All my best,
Eric Schneiderman
R&R - Reachout and Rebuild 