BY JEFF CHUDZINSKI
North Country This Week

Governor Kathy Hochul has called for an “extraordinary session” to pass a second set of gun control laws that aim to further restrict where an individual may legally conceal carry a firearm.

The move comes after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the NY “proper cause” requirement for issuing a concealed carry permit, which required applicants to demonstrate a special need for such a license.

"With substantial state investment in gun violence prevention programs and unprecedented collaboration between law enforcement agencies, we are beginning to see meaningful progress in our exhaustive efforts to eradicate gun violence from our communities," Governor Hochul said on her website.

The slate of new bills will include a definition of what “sensitive spaces” would be off limits for concealed carry, including schools, government buildings, public transit, healthcare facilities, polling places and parks.

Officials say gatherings that would host over 100 individuals would also be listed.

Private businesses would also be considered as gun free zones, unless the owner explicitly approves of and posts a sign that states firearms are allowed on the premises, Hochul said.

It is unclear if off-duty police officers are prohibited from carrying personal handguns in such “sensitive spaces.”

Included in the list of bills is a requirement for sellers of ammunition to perform background checks on all purchases.

A similar requirement was previously passed through the SAFE Act in 2013 and subsequently struck in 2015 by disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo after officials conceded it was not practical, enforceable and fiscally possible, according to a story from the New York Times.

Many companies and gun control groups continue to incorrectly cite the background check requirement and alleged ammunition registration database as fact, though various news outlets, including NBC News 10, have attempted to debunk the myth.

Requirements to receive a concealed carry license would also be raised, including 15 hours of in person training.

Most courses that have previously fulfilled the need for St. Lawrence County residents have been 8 hour NRA approved Basic Handgun Safety courses with certified instructors that have a classroom module, as well as a practical range module with live fire.

Safe storage of firearms will also be redefined if the laws are passed, with individuals potentially being required to securely lock firearms in their vehicles and within their homes if children under 18 are present.

In her press release regarding the need for new legislation, Hochul cited numerous statistics including a 98% increase in firearm seizures by state police so far in 2022 versus the same period in 2021. It is unclear if such seizures came after the firearm was used in a crime or whether they were confiscated through the state’s “red flag law” procedures, which were also enhanced earlier this month.

Hochul also cited a statistic that claimed shooting incidents were down 12% in New York City compared with numbers from last year.

According to an NBC News and Reuters, 488 individuals were murdered in NYC last year, a 4% rise compared to 468 in 2020, which in turn was a 47% rise from 319 in 2019.

State police have also conducted 346 gun tracing investigations, which has led to 70 investigations across 22 states, Houchul said.

A firearms trace is initiated when a firearm is recovered from a crime scene, allowing police to track the history of the firearm from manufacturers to wholesale distributors or importers, to the gun shop that may have sold the firearm and to the potential buyer.

Instances in which a trace can not be completed may include when a firearm has no visible serial number, a defaced serial number, if a firearm is a so called “ghost gun” that was manufactured by an individual, a firearm that was sold by a closed gun shop or, most commonly, in instances of private party sales, according to the ATF.

St. Lawrence County legislators previously passed a resolution in opposition to the 10 laws enacted on June 6, which drew sharp rebukes from many legislators, including Kevin Acres.

“It’s another emotion filled legislation, this time it wasn’t passed at midnight but it was in the broad daylight. This is an overwhelming and unhinged reaction to the shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, Texas, which these laws are only a burden on those who obtain guns legally and are responsible gun owners,” Acres said at the time.