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Ceretto: 'Backroom deal' delivers blow to Second Amendment

by jmaloni

Press release

Tue, Jan 15th 2013 04:30 pm

Assemblyman John Ceretto, R-C-I-Lewiston, said Tuesday he was troubled by what he called Albany leader's closed-door meetings, which resulted in the passage of what he described as a hastily crafted gun-control bill that erodes New Yorkers' right to bear arms.

"The recent tragic events in Newtown, Conn., and Webster, N.Y., have prompted calls for the need to address the fundamental aspects of our society with regards to guns, mental health and public safety. Unfortunately, today's vote missed the mark on all three with the Legislature choosing political expediency over sound public policy," Ceretto said. "By voting to erode the rights of law-abiding gun owners in a secretive manner that lacked any public debate, Albany insiders have attempted to score political points at the expense of good government and transparency and missed a golden opportunity to address the root causes of these tragedies, such as violence in popular culture, mental health treatment and family breakdown.

"While there were several measures in the act that I support, such as tougher penalties on individuals who use firearms in the commission of a crime, the expansion of Kendra's Law and new safety funding for our schools, these provisions should have been voted on separately and only after a more in-depth public policy discussion."

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