County Legislature plans to back rifles for big game hunting, oppose SAFE Act outside of NYC
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature agenda for its monthly meeting on Wednesday includes resolutions in support of allowing rifles for big game hunting in Orleans County. The Legislature also plans to support a proposal that would limit the SAFE Act to New York City.
The Legislature’s regular meeting starts at 4 :30 p.m., at the County Clerks Building, Suite 2 at 3 South Main St.
The Orleans County Federation of Sportsmen Club attended the Legislature’s December and January meetings, asking the county to allow rifles for deer and bear.
The Legislature’s proposed resolution of support states the following:
“WHEREAS, the Orleans County Legislature has listened to both sides of the argument of the use of rifles to hunt big game in Orleans County at several past Conference Sessions and Legislature Meetings; and
“WHEREAS, a special state law must be enacted and the first step in the process is for this Legislature to request the legislation; now be it
“RESOLVED, that this Orleans County Legislature requests the New York State Legislature to enact legislation that will allow the use of rifles for big game hunting in all of Orleans County.”
The Legislature also plans to approve supporting legislation to partially repeal the New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement (SAFE) Act of 2013. Excerpts of the Legislature’s proposed resolution includes:
“WHEREAS, Senate bill S879B has been introduced to the New York State Senate by Senators Michael Nozzolio and Katherine Marchione respectively, which would repeal part of the New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act of 2013; and
“WHEREAS, this Legislative Body has long advocated for the protection of the rights afforded our citizens under the Constitution, which has for generations guided our Nation and served as a framework to our republic and society; and
“WHEREAS, the Second Amendment of the United States provides for the “right of the people to keep and bear arms” and further states that this right “shall not be infringed”; and
“WHEREAS, the Civil Rights Law of the State of New York states in Article 2 Section 4, “Right to keep and bear arms. A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms cannot be infringed.”; and
“WHEREAS, the lawful ownership of firearms is a recreational benefit to our residents through hunting and target shooting, along with an economic and environmental benefit to our region with several locally owned and operated gun/sporting businesses; and
“WHEREAS, the New York State Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement (NY SAFE Act) of 2013 which was rushed to passage by the New York State Senate, Assembly and Governor, will have a detrimental effect on hunters, sportsmen and legal gun owners, creating a hostile environment both for them and for the sale and manufacture of legal firearms; and
“WHEREAS, the legislation unconstitutionally prohibits the sale of firearm magazines with a capacity larger than seven (7) rounds and, those firearm magazines with a capacity larger than seven (7) rounds, which are authorized to be retained by existing owners, may only be loaded with seven (7) rounds and eventually must be permanently altered to only accept seven (7) rounds or be disposed of; and
“WHEREAS, few or no low capacity (seven (7) rounds or less) magazines currently exist for many of the firearms commonly possessed by law-abiding residents of New York State; and
“WHEREAS, the legislation severely impacts the possession and use of firearms now employed by the residents of Orleans County for the defense of life, liberty and property; and
“WHEREAS, the legislation severely impacts the possession and use of firearms now employed for safe forms of recreation including, but not limited to hunting and target shooting; and
“WHEREAS, while there are some areas of the legislation that the Orleans County Legislature finds encouraging, such as the strengthening of Kendra’s Law and Marks’s Law, as well as privacy protections for lawful permit holders, we find the legislation fails to offer little meaningful solutions to gun violence and places undue burdens where they don’t belong, squarely on the backs of law abiding citizens; and
“WHEREAS, there are many parts of this legislation that place an unfunded mandate on the local Sheriff Departments, County Clerk’s Office and County Judges, while tax payers are crying out relief; and
“WHEREAS, there will be significant financial impact due to the approximately 5,000 Orleans County pistol permits that will have to be renewed requiring additional manpower and computer systems; and
“WHEREAS, requiring law-abiding gun owners to verify ownership of certain types of firearms every five years, in addition to registering them on permits, which now also must be renewed every five years, does not increase the safety of the public and is unnecessarily burdensome to the residents of New York State; and
“WHEREAS, this legislation effectively treats countless New York State law abiding gun owners as criminals; and
“WHEREAS, the enactment of the NY SAFE Act has engendered significant controversy over both the process by which it was enacted and certain provisions contained within; and
“WHEREAS, the manner in which this legislation was brought forward for vote in the State Legislature is deeply disturbing to the Orleans County Legislature; and
“WHEREAS, this legislative body unanimously voted to oppose the New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act of 2013 for all reasons stated above in RESOLUTION NO.82-213 of the Orleans County Legislative proceedings of February 13, 2013; now be it
“RESOLVED, that the Orleans County Legislature does hereby support Senator Robert Orrt’s bill to repeal part of the New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act of 2013, limiting the application of the “S.A.F.E. Act” to the five boroughs of New York City; and be it
“FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Legislature supports the introduction of an Assembly bill which calls for the repeal or partial repeal of the New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Act of 2013; and be it
“FURTHER RESOLVED, that this legislature supports efforts by the New York State Legislature to remove funds for enforcement of the New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Act of 2013 from the New York State Budget.”
