New York gun owners about to have the hammer dropped on them

Just after the Supreme Court ruling in the D.C. case, in favor of individual gun rights, the administration "suggested" to their comrades in the states to go after guns on the state level.

In other words, when frontal assaults fail, attack on the flanks.

Regards,
Louis of PA

This is swiped from the Smith & Wesson Forum, posted today:

http://www.poststar.com/articl...dlehman/14760999.txt

Hunters lobby against bills
By Don Lehman

Published: Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Queensbury resident Sean Garvey didn't expect to spend two days in late April roaming the state capitol.

But there he was among hundreds of other gun rights advocates, lobbying state legislators in opposition to a package of bills that will drastically impact New York gun owners if they make it into law.

What was supposed to be "Gun Bill Day" in Albany on April 29 turned into a two-day event for many Second Amendment advocates after members of the state Assembly decided to duck a debate with them and move their voting up a day on a group of 13 gun bills.

That sneaky move simply resulted in two days of lobbying by members of a number of gun owner and conservation groups.

Among the more controversial proposals passed by the Assembly last month are bills that:

- Require microstamping of handgun firing pins.

- Ban .50-caliber weapons.

- Require renewal of pistol permits every 5 years.

- Require gun dealers have liability insurance.

- Expand the controversial CoBIS database.

Opponents say several of the bills are thinly veiled attempts to all but do away with handguns.

Microstamping is expected to drive up gun prices, and may prompt some gun manufacturers to stop selling in New York. Proponents say the price increase will be minimal.

The Democrat-controlled Assembly's decision to move the votes up a day seemed to backfire, with the legislators receiving flack from gun owners, media and others for seemingly ducking a debate.

Even with the move, several hundred responded to calls for action from groups like the NRA, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association and Shooters Committee on Political Educate-New York.

The lobbying effort this year was billed as particularly urgent because Democrats now have a majority in the state Senate and the governor is Democratic as well.

In the past, the Republican majority in the Senate could be counted on to vote down questionable gun bills that made it to the Senate.

Tom King, president of NYSRPA, and Ken Mathison, president of SCOPE-NY, said gun owners have to be particularly active in the coming weeks to let senators know of the opposition to overcome the Senate's Democratic majority.

He said the microstamping bill was particularly important to keep from becoming law.

Mathison and King said they are optimistic that several upstate Democratic senators who have voted with gun owners in the past will continue to do so.

"The only fly in the ointment is whether the Republicans who have supported us can be kept in line by (Senate Minority Leader Dean) Skelos," Mathison said.

"Until the vote is taken, you just don't know," King said.

They said they were heartened that the Assembly voting on a number of repeat bills was closer than it had been in years past. The pro-gun faction also greatly outnumbered anti-gun groups on both days, they said.

"I was pleased with the turnout given the way they maneuvered," Mathison said.

Garvey, whose family operates the Garvey auto dealerships, said he plans to be back in Albany again to lobby whenever he's needed.

"This is the first time I've done it, but I'll be back," he said.

Here are the gun bills that passed the Assembly, which can be viewed at www.assembly.state.ny.us. Not all had Senate sponsors as of press time: A801A, A1093, A1326, A2881, A2882A, A3076B, A3211A, A5078, A5844, A6157, A6468, A7574, A7575A.