In wake of Buffalo shooting, Governor Kathy Hochul signs bills aimed at strengthening New York's gun laws

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a 10-bill package Monday intended to strengthen the state's gun laws and protect people from gun violence by prohibiting the sale of semiautomatic weapons to those under 21 and banning most body armor sales for civilians.

 

The bills come after a rash of mass shootings, including a racially motivated shooting that killed 10 in a Buffalo, New York, supermarket, have put increased pressure on politicians to consider bipartisan gun reform. 

 

"I am proud to sign a comprehensive bill package that prohibits the sale of semiautomatic weapons to people under 21, bans body armor sales outside of people in select professions, closes critical gun law loopholes and strengthens our Red Flag Law to keep guns away from dangerous people-new measures that I believe will save lives," Hochul said Monday. 

 

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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kathy-hochul-new-york-gun-laws-red-flag-laws-legislation-body-armor/

 

 

 

 

Key GOP senators signal that raising age to buy semiautomatic weapons is off the table

(CNN)  The two leading GOP senators involved in gun talks on Capitol Hill signaled Monday evening that it's unlikely Congress will raise the age requirement for purchasing semiautomatic firearms to 21, instead saying they are looking at changing the criminal background check system to access juvenile records before a sale is complete.

 

Doing so, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said, could lead to a waiting period of sorts for 18- to 20-year-olds purchasing semiautomatic weapons. It could take, he said, "two to three weeks minimally," potentially to scour juvenile records, but he added that Senate negotiators are looking at ways for gun purchasers to appeal for expedited processes either through the courts or another mechanism.

 

After a group of four senators talk about the potential deal Monday night, the full Senate GOP conference is scheduled to meet for lunch Tuesday -- something that will allow GOP leaders to take the temperature of their conference.

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Senate Minority Whip John Thune of South Dakota, the chief vote counter in the Republican conference, said "it's hard to say" whether any deal could have enough GOP support to break a filibuster. He said the leaders would have a better sense after further discussions on Tuesday.

 

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https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/06/politics/gun-negotiations-congress-republicans/index.html