CANTON -- St. Lawrence County legislators have passed bills asking pistol licensing officer Judge Tatiana Coffinger to consider cross-registration of firearms and another praising her for creating protocol to remove pistol license restrictions.

Judge Coffinger is temporarily filling in as St. Lawrence County's pistol licensing officer following the retirement of former Judge Jerome Richards.

Richards drew sharp criticism from some local gun owners and Second Amendment advocates for being too strict with placing restrictions on pistol licenses.

Pistol license applicants will be able to take a gun safety course as part of the process for having their restrictions removed.

"The Board of Legislators applauds the recent decision of the newly appointed court pistol licensing authority for St. Lawrence County to establish a procedure and implement protocol for the removal of pistol license restrictions," the resolution reads.

At the same meeting, which took place Monday, March 2, legislators called on Judge Coffinger to consider cross-registration of pistols in St. Lawrence County with other people who are licensed to have a handgun in New York state.

"It's not a Second Amendment issue ... [it's] passing property from one family member to another," said Legislator David Haggard, D-Potsdam, when he spoke in favor of the bill prior to voting to approve it.

"Pistol license holders have long used the ability to cross-register pistols in multiple licenses as a means of estate planning within families so that an elderly family member may pass the weapon to a licensed heir without undue legal complications," the resolution reads.