East Greenbush, N.Y.- Congresswoman Elise Stefanik led a letter to Governor Hochul alongside New York Republicans urging a delay of the September 13th implementation deadline of New York State Executive Law 228, which targets law-abiding gun owners and ensures the redirection of resources away from combatting New York’s skyrocketing crime crisis.
Executive Law 228 will require unnecessary and burdensome background check fees for lawful gun owners, diverting State Police attention by implementing a duplicative background check system to collect fees and increase bureaucratic red tape. Stefanik and her New York Republican colleagues call on Governor Hochul to focus on rising crime in New York instead.
In the letter the lawmakers state, “Executive Law 228 targets law-abiding gun owners. It furthers government overreach, is poor stewardship of taxpayers’ dollars, and will duplicate and complicate federal processes that are already in place. Firearm purchases already undergo a background check facilitated by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), operated by the FBI. This state order creates a duplicative office run by the State Police to act as a middleman, transferring background checks from registered firearm dealers to the NICS on the dealer’s behalf.”
The letter continues, “It is said that the revenue collected from the background and ammunition tax will go to fund programs that prevent gun violence in the State. Taxing responsible gun owners at a time of rising prices and out of control government spending is shameful and irresponsible. Responsible gun owners should not be the ones footing the bill to pay for the failures of Albany Democrats whose misguided policies have made our communities less safe. Taxing law-abiding citizens to clean up for failed Far Left policies is not only unconstitutional, but morally reprehensible.”
“New Yorkers’ Second Amendment rights are once again under siege as buyers and sellers are being kept in the dark about how to properly implement the burdensome new state order charging fees for firearm and ammunition background checks. Buyers and dealers have been left in limbo with no access to training and little information on the change. Clearly, this disastrous policy was motivated by gun grabbing anti-Second Amendment radicals in Albany rather than by commonsense and the public safety of our Upstate New York communities.” Stated Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. “Far Left Albany Democrats have once again assaulted our Constitutional right to bear arms and I will do everything in my power to stop their attacks on the sacred Second Amendment rights of New Yorkers."
“Governor Hochul’s endless attacks on Second Amendment rights of New Yorkers is unacceptable. Her new program is a political stunt that targets law-abiding gun owners,” Said Rep. Brandon Williams (NY-22). “As I always have, I will continue to fight government overreach and defend the Constitutional right to bear arms.”
Stefanik was joined by Representatives Nick Langworthy (NY-23), Brandon Williams (NY-22), and Claudia Tenney (NY-24).
Find the full letter HERE.
