State Attorney General Letitia James issued a statement Wednesday saying, “I am pleased that the full Concealed Carry Improvement Act will stay in effect and continue to protect communities as the appeals process moves forward. My office will continue our efforts to protect the safety of everyday New Yorkers and defend our common-sense gun laws.”

James said the full act is in effect until a three-judge panel on the Second Circuit decides on the motion to stay.

Governor Kathy Hochul also issued a statement, “The interim administrative stay of the district court’s temporary restraining order is an important and appropriate step and affirms that the Concealed Carry Improvement Act will remain in effect during the appeals process. My top priority will always be to keep New Yorkers safe, and we will continue working with the Office of the Attorney General to defend our gun safety laws.”

On Thursday, October 6, a federal judge temporarily blocked enforcement of parts of the gun law that was enacted in the wake of a Supreme Court decision earlier this summer striking down certain protections.

The law, which went into effect in September, was signed by Hochul as a swift response to the Supreme Court striking down New York’s gun law that required a resident to obtain a license to carry a concealed pistol or revolver in public and demonstrate that “proper cause” existed for the permit.

But the plaintiffs in the case at hand, including at least one individual who wants to carry his firearm in church, argue the state is violating their Second and 14th Amendment rights by denying them the right to self-defense. They have filed for a preliminary injunction in order to eventually prohibit the state from enforcing its new set of laws.

State Senator George Borrello said in response to the federal judge’s ruling last week that it was only a matter of time before the law was struck down, calling the new concealed carry law unconstitutional.

The mandate had been given a “temporary stay” by the Appellate Division on January 25th after State Supreme Court Judge Thomas Rademaker ruled on January 24th that the mandate violates the New York State Constitution.

On Friday, Hochul extended her “mask or proof of vaccination” policy for all indoor public places through at least February 10 and said she will re-evaluate the policy every two weeks.

Hochul made the statement Monday, “I commend the Appellate Division, Second Department for granting a full stay to keep our masking regulations in place for the duration of our appeal. My primary responsibility as Governor is to keep New Yorkers safe. Mask regulations keep our schools and businesses safe and open, protect vulnerable New Yorkers, and are critical tools as we work to get through this winter surge. Thanks to our efforts, including mask regulations, cases are declining and we are seeing major progress in the fight against COVID-19. I thank the Attorney General and her team for their defense of these common sense measures, and I am confident we will continue to prevail. We are committed to doing everything in our power to keep New Yorkers safe.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James also released the following statement: “We are pleased by the Appellate Division, Second Department’s decision today to preserve the statewide mask mandate pending the appeal. Wearing a mask saves lives. The mask mandate and today’s decision will help in our efforts to fight back this virus. My office will continue to use its full authority to keep New Yorkers safe.”