Photo Courtesy of Sen. Schumer’s Office
“If this law were to pass, someone with a gun permit from a state with low standards could legally carry a firearm in New York, even if their background would prevent them from legally obtaining a permit here,” Schumer said.
By Forum Staff
Congress could very soon move forward with a vote on a gun bill that would override New York’s tough conceal and carry reciprocity restrictions, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer said on Sunday.
According to NY’s senior senator, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 would force communities across the nation to permit individuals from other states to carry hidden and loaded handguns in public. The proposal is particularly dangerous to New York, Schumer said, noting that the Empire State applies some of the most thorough background screenings on concealed carry permit applicants in the country.
“Just days after the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history, the [National Rifle Association] is engaging their allies in Congress to push through a dangerous national concealed carry reciprocity law, which begs the question: how low can you go?” Schumer said. “If this law were to pass, someone with a gun permit from a state with low standards could legally carry a firearm in New York, even if their background would prevent them from legally obtaining a permit here. Some states already have concealed carry reciprocity and it has had deadly consequences. We must stop this madness and Congress must stand up to the bosses of the NRA and say ‘enough is enough.’”
Schumer pointed out that states such as North Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Tennessee, Michigan and Georgia, to name just a handful, have gun permit standards that are not as safe as New York and geographies that are much more rural than urban. In some of these states, according to the senator, concealed carry permits have been legally issued to convicted felons. And under the law being pushed by the NRA right now, those individuals would be allowed to legally carry a weapon in New York.
Additionally, Schumer said, the NRA recently called on the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to review whether bump stocks, like the ones used in the Las Vegas tragedy, comply with federal law. However, “in the same breath,” Schumer said that the NRA went on to urge “…Congress to pass National Right-to-Carry reciprocity, which will allow law-abiding Americans to defend themselves and their families from acts of violence.”
On Sunday, Schumer said he was “sounding the alarm on this dangerous law and the NRA’s quiet attempt to get it passed, which would put the safety of New York residents and law enforcement officials at risk.”
The senator also said that the proposed legislation would create serious problems for law enforcement officers across New York and in the five boroughs, especially when it comes to verifying permits granted by other states, because there is no national database. It would make it much more difficult to distinguish a legal handgun from an illegal handgun, putting law enforcement at danger especially at traffic stops. Many law enforcement organizations have decried the bill, including, the International Association of Chiefs of Police; the Police Foundation; the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators; and the Major Cities Chiefs Association, which counts the chiefs of police and sheriffs of the 66 largest law-enforcement agencies in the country amongst its members.
Schumer characterized the NRA as “callous and desperate” for pushing for Concealed Carry Reciprocity.
