Democratic leaders had praised the Republican governor for his gun package and promised speedy passage in the Democrat-controlled Assembly. Their attempt to bypass the Senate Codes Committee chaired by Sen. Dale Volker (R-Depew) and Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Saratoga Springs) was rebuffed despite massive lobbying by anti-gunners in Albany the same day.
However, the battle over more gun control measures in New York state is far from over.
Pataki’s proposal, which in several cases is milder than the five bills that were rejected in a procedural vote in the Senate, has been introduced as a single bill, S-7033.
Pro-gun organizations such as the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association and the Shooters Committee on Political Education (SCOPE Inc.) are warning members that pressure by the governor and the anti-gun media might push some Republican senators to support some of the Pataki package. These groups are calling on members to continue to express their views to their state senators and assemblymen, but particularly the Senate leadership and the governor.