County leg. urges governor to back off NRA
Says recent directive harmful to insurance companies and banks
TROY, N.Y » Republican members of the Rensselaer County Legislature are now urging Governor Andrew Cuomo to reverse his recent directive that they believe threatens insurance companies and banks that conduct business with the National Rifle Association or other gun affiliated businesses.
During its monthly meeting Tuesday, 14 members from the legislature’s Republican Majority voted in favor of the resolution introduced by Chairman Mike Stammel, R-Rensselaer. The five members of the Democratic Minority all voted against the resolution.
Republican members of the legislature said that they believe the Governor’s attack on the NRA has resulted in many local fish and game clubs and other businesses losing their insurance coverage.
Earlier this month, Stammel said he sent a letter to Cuomo urging him to reconsider his directive. Stammel wrote in part of the letter, “The fact that our State government is, not so subtly, discouraging private businesses from conducting lawful business with organizations that you do not personally approve of, is offensive and un-American.” The letter from Stammel closed with the following: “Your directive sends the wrong message to those doing business in New York State and more importantly, our residents. Several have asked me, “What’s next? What is the next business or organization that the Governor will target?”
Stammel said that as of last week he has not
heard back from Cuomo yet
uomo spokesman Richard Azzopardi did not immediately return an emailed request for comment Thursday.
At the beginning of August, Cuomo sent a letter to President Donald Trump calling on him to tell the NRA to end the Carry Guard program, which he said incentivizes dangerous and criminal conduct.
The Governor also previously launched a national effort to block the program after he said that a State investigation found that the program was illegal under New York State law, leading to penalties against insurance compa-
nies involved.
New York State also recently filed a motion to dismiss an NRA lawsuit against New York that suggested the State’s actions were a threat to “the NRA’s corporate existence and its advocacy mission.”
“It is unconscionable that the NRA is marketing a product that actively promotes and protects violence, and yet shockingly this product is being sold in states nationwide. This program must be stopped. I write to urge you to step up and show national leadership: tell the NRA to end this reckless program that incentivizes dangerous and criminal conduct,” Cuomo wrote in part of his letter to Trump, which was posted on the governor’s website Aug. 7.
Republican members of the legislature said that
they believe that this action by the governor will be costly to the state in the long run.
“When the governor singles out one type of business, and threatens to put them out of business; you have to ask yourself, “Who is next?”. “This action by the Governor has resulted in lawsuits that will be costly to New York State at a time when we should be investing in infrastructure not lawyers,” said Majority Leader Ken Herrington, RBrunswick.
Minority Leader Peter Grimm, D- Troy, said that he believes the governor is doing the right thing and
that’s why he and other members of the minority group voted against the resolution. All five members of the Minority group represent the city of Troy.
“I can’t speak.for all of the minorityC legislators, but we all voted no on it and this was because we support the governor’s action in this case,” said Grimm. “..... [ The Minority group] represent a constituency that have suffered the effects of guns in the community, more so than the hill towns, it’s a perspective here, we look at guns as a different thing in urban areas than they do in rural areas.”