New York governor faces suit over toughened gun law
Law rushed through after school massacre
NEW YORK New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was sued by gun advocacy groups who claim new state laws regulating the sale and possession of firearms and ammunition are unconstitutional.
Organizations led by the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association are seeking to enjoin the law to “vindicate the right of the people of the state of New York to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,” according to a complaint filed Thursday.
In Washington, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he is preparing federal gun legislation for next month. The measure will be a narrower version of laws meant to curb gun violence approved by the Judiciary Committee. The bill will include federal aid for school safety, stronger penalties for gun trafficking and broader background checks for purchases, Reid said Thursday.
Following the school massacre last year in Newtown, Connecticut, Cuomo pushed his state’s law through the legislature in weeks, making it the first state to respond to the killings. The measure tightens restrictions on sales.
“The act creates new offences with criminal penalties for previously lawful activities involving the acquisition and possession of rifles, handguns, shotguns, ammunition magazines and ammunition,” the groups challenging the law said in the complaint.