Hawley glad SCOPE has court victory in Second Amendment lawsuit

Posted 19 August 2015 at 12:00 am

Assemblyman also supports new law for distilleries

Press Release, Assemblyman Steve Hawley

State Assemblyman Steve Hawley issued two statements today, one about a lawsuit in favor of SCOPE and another on Gov. Cuomo signing legislation to help micro-breweries.

“On behalf of the Shooter’s Committee on Political Education (SCOPE) and Second Amendment rights activists state-wide, I am proud to announce that the New York State Supreme Court has ruled that Gov. Cuomo and state officials have illegally withheld records relating to a Freedom of Information Request (FOIL) into illegal seizures during a gun rally in Albany last April. During the rally, state troopers unlawfully seized replica guns from several participants under orders from the executive branch.

“This is a positive step in ensuring that our Constitutional rights are not completely compromised by Gov. Cuomo’s illegal tactics. The SAFE-Act was passed under the cover of darkness without any public input or vetting process and remains one of the worst pieces of legislation I have ever seen during my time in the Assembly. I will continue to fight for repeal of this illegal law and support gun owners in my district and state-wide.”

The governor signed legislation to reduce regulations on wineries, distilleries and cideries.

“I am proud to announce that Gov. Cuomo has signed into law new legislation that will help our local craft breweries, wineries and distilleries streamline their manufacturer process, market new products and increase their profits. The craft beer and wine industry is booming in Western New York and I have made every effort to bolster their presence. By recognizing the value in this emerging industry we can keep profits in the hands of local families, create jobs and make New York attractive to start-up companies looking to own a piece of the pie in this growing market.

“In essence, the newly created laws will allow retail stores to conduct liquor samplings, exempt micro-breweries from the burdensome regulation of certain tax filing requirements and allow farm distilleries to sell gifts and souvenirs. I voted in favor of this legislation because New York needs to do everything in its power to ease the burden on small businesses; they are the backbone of our economy and a driving force in creating jobs.”