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St. Lawrence County legislators oppose state bill that would allow online search history check for pistol licenses

Posted 1/5/19

CANTON – St. Lawrence County Legislators voted to oppose a proposed state law that would allow search history and electronic communications from as far back as three years to be considered when …

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St. Lawrence County legislators oppose state bill that would allow online search history check for pistol licenses

Posted

CANTON – St. Lawrence County Legislators voted to oppose a proposed state law that would allow search history and electronic communications from as far back as three years to be considered when issuing pistol licenses.

The measure had previously been supported by the county Finance Committee, but was approved by the new Board of Legislators Jan. 2 at the organizational meeting.

According to the resolution the proposal would infringe on the First, Second, and Fourth Amendments of the United States Constitution.

Legislators said if enacted, Senate Bill 9191, sponsored by Democrat State Sen. Kevin Parker, would violate all these rights, inasmuch as the bill states that:

“In order to ascertain whether any social media account or search engine history of an applicant presents any good cause for the denial of a pistol license, the investigating officer shall, after…obtaining any log-in name, password or other means for accessing a personal account, service, or electronic communications device necessary to review such applicant’s social media accounts and search engine history, review an applicant’s social media accounts for the previous three years and search engine history for the previous year and investigate an applicant’s posts or searches related to…any…issue deemed necessary by the investigating officer.”

The full bill can be viewed at https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2017/s9191. Legislators intend to send copies of the resolution to state officials in the Assembly and Senate as well as to Governor Andrew M. Cuomo.

The bill has gained a lot of attention on social media in recent weeks now that Democrats control the Assembly and Senate.

The bill is currently in Senate committee and has not yet been brought to the floor.