Governor Kathy Hochul was on MSBC this morning, announcing a special legislative session that will convene Thursday, in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling overturning New York’s concealed carry laws, which it said were overly restrictive.
“I don’t want people packing heat. I don’t want people carrying guns concealed through here because that will wreak havoc,” said Hochul to MSNBC’s Jonathan Caperhart, outside of New York City’s pride festival.
Hochul said the Supreme Court’s Thursday ruling to overturn New York’s restrictions to carry a concealed weapon is instilling fear in New Yorkers, who now worry about who among them may be armed.
New York’s existing law requires an application to show proper cause for seeking a license, which six of nine Supreme Court justices said violates the second amendment constitutional right to “keep and bear arms.”
The ruling, which would make it easier to carry a concealed gun in public places, comes in the wake of several mass shootings, including the May 14th Tops shooting in Buffalo.
“I’m from Buffalo, New York. The graves on my neighbors ten minutes from where I live, those graves are still fresh, and the Supreme Court is totally not caring that governors have rights to protect their citizens,” said Hochul.
The governor said Thursday’s legislative session will focus on drafting legislation that deems certain places gun-free zones, and empowers business owners to turn away those who may be carrying a concealed.
“To be able to say no, we don’t want you coming in, and also increasing requirements to receive the permit, and additional training as well. We’re doing what we can but this is extremely frustrating,” she said.
We spoke with people in Buffalo today about the governor’s plans to make obtaining a concealed weapon harder.
Some are for it.
“I feel like because there’s other countries who have been more or less able to handle the problem, that we need to at least explore it a little bit more than we have in the past,” said Cory Huepler.
Others are not.
“I’m sure there’s millions of us that actually do carry and we do it legally. It’s our right and it’s our constitutional right here in the United States,” said John Dry.
“I do understand where the governor is coming from, but there’s a lot of Americans in this country that are divided,” said Jordan Camarre.
“They say you’re stopping good people from getting guns and obtaining guns and doing it lawfully.”
Camarre is a former U.S. Marine and says it still took him a year and a half to obtain a concealed weapon’s license in New York, a situation that’s caused him to side with the Supreme Court.
“They’re making it harder on us to fulfill that second amendment.”
The state legislature will meet at noon on Thursday.
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