State lawmakers in New York rushed to quickly pass gun control legislation after the deadly Sandy Hook shooting in December -- so quickly, in fact, that they forgot to exempt law enforcement officials from the strict controls on weapons and ammunition. But now, their hurried legislation is presenting further unintended consequences and the law may be significantly revised.
Why?
Because the law seeks to regulate that which does not exist.
NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo (AP)
The Utica Observer-Dispatchreports (via Weasel Zippers):
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday the state is not rolling back the nation’s most stringent gun control measure by keeping 10-bullet magazines legal, even though they would have been outlawed in a bill that passed earlier this year.Cuomo and legislative leaders in state budget talks plan to change the law that was passed in January before a provision kicks in banning the sale of 10-bullet magazines. The gun measure outlaws the purchase of any magazines that carry more than seven bullets, the nation’s most stringent limit. That would have put a severe limit on the sale of guns with industry standard 10-bullet magazines when the provision of the law went onto effect on April 15.
“There is no such thing as a seven-bullet magazine. That doesn’t exist, so you really have no practical option,” Cuomo said. He told reporters that any suggestion this will be a rollback of the law is “wholly without basis.”
Cuomo said the state needs to allow the sale of handguns and rifles with 10-shot magazines, but New Yorkers will still be required to keep no more than seven bullets in them, except at shooting ranges and competitions. Violating the seven-bullet limit is a misdemeanor, but a violation if the magazine was in the owner’s home.
