{"id":44853,"date":"2022-06-03T07:26:58","date_gmt":"2022-06-03T11:26:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/?p=44853"},"modified":"2022-06-03T07:26:58","modified_gmt":"2022-06-03T11:26:58","slug":"nyt-nys-legislature-passes-gun-bills-package-broaden-abortion-protections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/nyt-nys-legislature-passes-gun-bills-package-broaden-abortion-protections\/","title":{"rendered":"NYT: NYS Legislature Passes Gun Bills Package, Broaden Abortion Protections"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The New York Times reports the State Legislature<\/strong> has passed a broad package of gun bills<\/strong> that will raise the minimum age to buy a semiautomatic rifle to 21, ban most civilians from purchasing bullet-resistant body vests and revise the state\u2019s red flag laws.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This makes New York the first state to approve legislation following shootings in Buffalo<\/strong> and Texas that left a total of 31 dead.<\/p>\n

Lawmakers approved bills to broaden abortion protections and bolster voting rights, using the final hours of the 2022 legislative session to deliver the most robust response yet by a state in the face of federal gridlock.<\/p>\n

Faced with a looming Supreme Court<\/strong> decision that could strike down Roe v. Wade<\/strong>, Democratic legislative leaders were fully behind a bill package aimed at protecting abortion service providers from legal or professional backlash, among other things.<\/p>\n

Legislators also approved new measures to combat voter suppression under the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York<\/strong>, invoking the former congressman and civil rights leader in a nod to the voting rights bill that failed to pass in Congress.<\/p>\n

Governor Kathy Hochul<\/strong>, who has already expressed support for many of the bills, is widely expected to sign them into law.<\/p>\n

New York will now become the second state, following California, to pass legislation paving the way for the \u201cmicrostamping\u201d of shell cases with a unique alphanumeric code in order to trace the bullet back to the gun it was fired from. The bill, spearheaded by State Senator Brad Hoylman<\/strong> of Manhattan, is meant to help officials solve crimes, but some Republicans questioned the viability of the technology and argued it amounted to an unnecessary barrier for gun manufacturers.<\/p>\n

The legislation that now makes the sale of body vests unlawful \u2014 except to police officers and other designated people \u2014 came after it was revealed that the 18-year-old gunman who killed 10 people at a Buffalo supermarket had worn body armor, an increasingly common feature in mass shootings that is typically loosely regulated.<\/p>\n

New York \u2014 which already bans military-style assault rifles \u2014 will also join a handful of states that have raised the minimum age requirement to 21 from 18 for the purchase of some long guns, the same age as for handguns in New York. New buyers of such weapons will now be required to obtain a permit \u2014 which includes undergoing a background check and safety course \u2014 before the purchase of a semiautomatic rifle.<\/p>\n

Hochul vocally lobbied for the legislation, but it could face legal challenges from the gun industry just as the Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling this month that could strike down a New York law that sharply limits a person\u2019s ability to carry a weapon outside the home, a potential win for gun-rights groups.<\/p>\n

The bills, which cemented New York\u2019s standing as one of the most Democratic statehouses in the country, came as President Biden delivered remarks on Thursday night urging Congress to pass a federal ban on assault weapons and new \u201cred flag\u201d laws.<\/p>\n

But some lawmakers privately griped that the focus on national headline-grabbing issues had overshadowed conversation around more New York-centric concerns in the waning days of the legislative session.<\/p>\n

Many in the party\u2019s left wing were disappointed that some left-leaning legislation was not prioritized, from beefed-up protections against evictions to elder parole. Environmentally conscious legislation like the one that would allow the New York Power Authority<\/strong> to build publicly-owned renewable energy projects, passed in the Senate but remained unsettled in the Assembly.<\/p>\n

Even so, lawmakers appeared poised to pass a two-year moratorium on cryptocurrency mining<\/strong> at fossil fuel plants. The proposal was passed by the Assembly, but stalled in the Senate, until late-night discussions on Thursday revived the measure. The bill, which is heavily opposed by the cryptocurrency industry, is the first of its kind in the country, aimed at addressing environmental concerns over the most energy intensive forms of crypto mining.<\/p>\n

Less certain was the fate of a criminal justice reform bill that would seal most criminal records after formerly incarcerated individuals have completed their sentences. The bill \u2014 known as the Clean Slate Act<\/strong> \u2014 passed the Senate, but has been held up in the Assembly. The measure received an unexpected boost Thursday night, however, with the news that the New York State Education Department<\/strong> had come on board, stoking rumors of a last minute push.<\/p>\n

There was a far broader consensus on abortion rights, as New York State leaders vowed to make the state a national leader on the issue following news reports that indicated the Supreme Court was poised to overturn the landmark decision from 1973 that made abortion legal across the country.<\/p>\n

Lawmakers followed through on that pledge this week with bills aimed at strengthening New York\u2019s existing laws and preparing the state for a surge of people seeking abortions<\/strong> from elsewhere.<\/p>\n

One bill passed by both houses will sharply limit the ability of law enforcement from cooperating with criminal or civil cases in states where abortion is restricted. Others ensure doctors have access to malpractice insurance, and aren\u2019t hit with professional misconduct charges for serving patients from states where abortion is a crime.<\/p>\n

Still others aim to use the conversation around abortion rights<\/strong> to solidify other liberties under attack. One measure which has been passed by both houses protects the rights of individuals traveling to New York seeking reproductive care as well as transgender or nonbinary people seeking gender-affirming care.<\/p>\n

An amendment to the State Constitution that would forbid discrimination based on pregnancy outcomes \u2014 or race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender expression \u2014 was being hashed out well into the final week of the session, with lawmakers struggling to balance civil liberties with religious ones. As of Thursday, a compromise failed to emerge.<\/p>\n

The John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which passed both the Senate and the Assembly, invokes a similarly named bill in Congress that would restore parts of the Voting Rights Acts of 1965 recently gutted by the Supreme Court. That bill passed the House of Representatives in 2021, but has twice failed in the Senate, where Democrats hold a slim majority.<\/p>\n

The bill requires localities with demonstrated histories of discrimination to prove that any proposed changes to their election process will not result in voter suppression.It would also require more election materials to be translated for non-English speakers and offer voters legal protections in instances of obstruction or intimidation.<\/p>\n

Legislative reporters said the State Senate finished voting around 2:30 this morning with the State Assembly expected to reconvene at 9:30 this morning to finish voting on measures.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The New York Times reports the State Legislature has passed a broad package of gun bills that will raise the minimum age to buy a semiautomatic rifle to 21, ban most civilians from purchasing bullet-resistant body vests and revise the state\u2019s red flag laws. This makes New York the first state to approve legislation following […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":30428,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[4],"tags":[9101,10642,10752,11450,11573,11572,990,11571,1333,9289,6782,10380,9005,7336,7337],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/state-capitol.jpg?fit=1200%2C793&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3YlJ4-bFr","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":45399,"url":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/state-legislature-passes-resolution-enshrine-equal-rights-in-state-constitution\/","url_meta":{"origin":44853,"position":0},"title":"State Legislature Passes Resolution Enshrine Equal Rights in State Constitution","author":"WRFA Radio","date":"July 5, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The State Legislature has passed a resolution to enshrine equal rights into the New York State Constitution, which will solidify the right to abortion access in New York State. The resolution was brought forward by Governor Kathy Hochul as part of an extraordinary session of the legislature that she called\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Local News"","block_context":{"text":"Local News","link":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/category\/news\/local-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Hochul-Extraordinary-Session.jpg?fit=799%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Hochul-Extraordinary-Session.jpg?fit=799%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Hochul-Extraordinary-Session.jpg?fit=799%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Hochul-Extraordinary-Session.jpg?fit=799%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44824,"url":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/ten-bills-tightening-gun-laws-to-be-considered-by-nys-legislature\/","url_meta":{"origin":44853,"position":1},"title":"Ten Bills Tightening Gun Laws to Be Considered by NYS Legislature","author":"WRFA Radio","date":"June 2, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Ten bills tightening gun laws have been introduced in the New York State Legislature. The agreement comes in the wake of mass shootings at a Texas elementary school and a Buffalo supermarket that left dozens dead and prompted renewed calls for change at the national level. Governor Kathy Hochul said\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Local News"","block_context":{"text":"Local News","link":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/category\/news\/local-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/52082985801_37ffcdd707_c.jpg?fit=799%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/52082985801_37ffcdd707_c.jpg?fit=799%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/52082985801_37ffcdd707_c.jpg?fit=799%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/52082985801_37ffcdd707_c.jpg?fit=799%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":28276,"url":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/state-lawmakers-update-expand-abortion-rights-for-women\/","url_meta":{"origin":44853,"position":2},"title":"State Lawmakers Update, Expand Abortion Rights for Women","author":"WRFA Radio","date":"January 23, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"ALBANY - Governor Andrew Cuomo, flanked by Democratic leaders of the state Legislature, on Tuesday night signed into law the\u00a0Reproductive Health Act -\u00a0 a series of measures codifying abortion protections and expanding reproductive health rights for women and their health care providers. The vote, made possible by the new Democratic\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Local News"","block_context":{"text":"Local News","link":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/category\/news\/local-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/2000px-Flag_of_New_York.svg_.png?fit=800%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/2000px-Flag_of_New_York.svg_.png?fit=800%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/2000px-Flag_of_New_York.svg_.png?fit=800%2C400&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/2000px-Flag_of_New_York.svg_.png?fit=800%2C400&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27989,"url":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/democratic-controlled-state-legislature-begins-2019-session-on-wednesday\/","url_meta":{"origin":44853,"position":3},"title":"Democratic Controlled State Legislature Begins 2019 Session on Wednesday","author":"WRFA Radio","date":"January 8, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"ALBANY - The New York State Legislature will begin the 2019 session this week in Albany. The new session is highlighted by both the Assembly and the Senate now being controlled by the Democratic Party, meaning a much more progressive agenda and action is expected for the new year. Some\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Local News"","block_context":{"text":"Local News","link":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/category\/news\/local-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/State-Capitol-Albany-NY.jpg?fit=1200%2C401&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/State-Capitol-Albany-NY.jpg?fit=1200%2C401&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/State-Capitol-Albany-NY.jpg?fit=1200%2C401&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/State-Capitol-Albany-NY.jpg?fit=1200%2C401&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/State-Capitol-Albany-NY.jpg?fit=1200%2C401&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27744,"url":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/cuomo-offers-agenda-for-first-100-days-of-third-term\/","url_meta":{"origin":44853,"position":4},"title":"Cuomo Offers Agenda for First 100 Days of Third Term","author":"WRFA Radio","date":"December 18, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"ALBANY - Governor Andrew Cuomo laid out his agenda for the first 100 days of 2019 during a wide-ranging speech Monday in Manhattan, where he vowed to set New York on a progressive course that he says would make President Franklin Roosevelt proud. Cuomo laid out dozens of measures he\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Local News"","block_context":{"text":"Local News","link":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/category\/news\/local-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Cuomo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":45344,"url":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/possible-nys-gun-control-policy-to-include-banning-guns-in-public-places-safe-storage-law-update\/","url_meta":{"origin":44853,"position":5},"title":"Possible NYS Gun Control Policy to Include Banning Guns in Public Places, Safe Storage Law Update","author":"WRFA Radio","date":"June 30, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"State legislation is being developed that will ban guns in government buildings, health facilities, places where children gather and public transportation in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court decision making it easier to legally carry firearms in public. The Gothamist reports Governor Kathy Hochul said that she and legislative\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Local News"","block_context":{"text":"Local News","link":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/category\/news\/local-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Hochul-Special-Leg-Gun-Control.jpg?fit=800%2C568&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Hochul-Special-Leg-Gun-Control.jpg?fit=800%2C568&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Hochul-Special-Leg-Gun-Control.jpg?fit=800%2C568&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Hochul-Special-Leg-Gun-Control.jpg?fit=800%2C568&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44853"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44853"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44853\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44854,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44853\/revisions\/44854"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30428"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}