Danger ‘flag’
Gov push to keep guns from troubled people
ALBANY — Heading into the final days of the legislative session, Gov. Cuomo will make a final push for passage of a “red flag” bill designed to make it easier to keep firearms out of the hands of those feared to be dangerous to themselves or others.
During the next two weeks, Cuomo will travel by school bus to different schools across the state to build support, with the first stops taking place Monday in New York City and Long Island, an administration official said.
He’ll be accompanied at some stops by gun-safety advocates and teachers union officials, including the city’s Michael Mulgrew. Cuomo this week will also launch a “robust six-figure” digital and statewide TV ad campaign on the issue, the aide said.
“Now is precisely the time to talk about it,” Cuomo is heard saying in the ad over video of him walking with students at a gun control rally.
“When is enough enough?” he asks before ticking off several mass shootings. “But now New York is going to lead the way forward again.”
Under Cuomo’s bill, teachers, school officials, family members and police officers would have the ability to petition judges if they believe someone is dangerous and has access to guns.
For students under 18 who live in homes where there are firearms, a judge could order their parents to keep the weapons secured, or order the guns to be confiscated if they cannot be kept away from their kids. When he unveiled the legislation last week, Cuomo said he did not believe it could pass the Republican-controlled Senate by the scheduled June 20 end of the legislative session.
But his aide said Cuomo wants to put pressure on the GOP to act.
“We see no reason why this common-sense legislation can’t be passed this session — and if not, it will most certainly be a campaign issue,” the official said.
State Sen. Brian Kavanagh (DManhattan) has been pushing a similar “red flag” bill that does not include Cuomo’s teacher component. While the Republicans have so far kept the bill from coming to the floor for a vote, it did pass the Democrat-led Assembly in March.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said his chamber is prepared to act on Cuomo’s revised version, calling it “common sense.”
“These horrific shootings have become all too common, and they show we must do more to keep guns away from troubled individuals,” Heastie (photo) said. “This is an extension of a bill we passed in the Assembly earlier this year. It’s something I support, and I hope everyone can get behind it.”
Senate Republican spokesman Scott Reif had no comment.
At least eight states have some type of “red flag” law.
Rather than back new gun control measures, Senate Republicans have pushed a package to increase school security — including the posting on school grounds of armed “school resource officers” made up of retired or active law enforcement officers.
With control of the Senate up for grabs in November and some predictions of a “blue wave,” Senate Democratic Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins’ fund-raiser in Albany last week attracted Republican lobbyists “who would never normally attend,” a veteran lobbyist said.
“It was almost like the message was, ‘We know what’s about to happen, so we’ve got to start making good with our contributions and also just change the way we do things,’ ” the lobbyist said. Sometimes ziti is just ziti. Former Cuomo top aide and confidant Jospeh Percoco, awaiting sentencing for his conviction on three federal corruption charges, received permission from a judge to travel upstate last week with his daughter for her team sporting event, court filings show. A source said Percoco went to Syracuse, where he also dined with friends at Attilio’s, a popular Italian restaurant known for its ziti and other pasta. Prosecutors during the trial had said Percoco, borrowing from the mob drama “The Sopranos,” repeatedly referred to bribes as “ziti.”