Surprising support for Cuomo law

ALBANY — While the bulk of New York State gun owners say they vehemently oppose Gov. Cuomo’s tough gun control law, there are a number of key provisions they actually support, a new poll to be released Monday shows.

Nearly 90% of New Yorkers — including 80% of gun owners — said they back the part of the 2013 SAFE Act that requires mandatory background checks for all gun sales, according to the poll commissioned by New Yorkers Against Gun Violence.

Six in 10 gun owners approve of the strengthening of the state’s assault weapons ban while 76% agree with revoking pistol permits for anyone with an order of protection against them, the poll found.

In addition, nearly 80% of New Yorkers back the required five-year renewal period of pistol permits, including 53% of gun owners.

“Even with the corporate gun lobby’s relentless attacks and misrepresentation of the SAFE Act, voters understand that the law is reasonable, keeps guns out of dangerous hands, and does not trample on any lawabiding person’s right to own a gun,” said the group’s executive director, Leah Barrett.

By 63% to 37%, gun owners oppose the SAFE Act provision requiring background checks for ammunition sales, a system that has yet to be implemented. Overall, the measure has support from 72% of those surveyed.

Gun owners also oppose — 62% to 36% — t he requirement that would have restricted to seven the number of bullets allowed in a magazine, a provision that is not being enforced by the state.

Overall, the poll conducted by Boston-based Kiley & Company found that New York voters support the SAFE Act by a 61% to 31% margin — a finding that mirrors an independent Siena College poll from last week.

Tom King, president of the NRA-affiliated New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, dismissed the findings, particularly the part that showed gun owners support strengthening the assault weapons ban. “You can make a poll say whatever you want to say,” he said.