Pelosi and Cuomo Sign Gun Confiscation Bill into New York State Law
Democrats sign legislation allowing authorities to confiscate guns from citizens
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to sign the "Red Flag Bill" into state law this week, allowing authorities to confiscate guns from citizens.
The law comes into effect 180 days from the date of Monday's signing.
NY Gov. Cuomo (D) was joined by Democrat leader Pelosi for the signing ceremony at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Midtown Manhatten, NYC.
Pelosi (D-CA) praised Cuomo and the New York State Legislature for "leading the way by passing the Red Flag Bill & providing an example of the commonsense solutions."
American families deserve to see bold action to prevent gun violence. Thanks to @NYGovCuomo & the New York State Legislature for leading the way by passing the Red Flag Bill & providing an example of the commonsense solutions that will save lives! https://t.co/4HcMLI1h3D
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) February 26, 2019
Aside from law enforcement, the bill also allows school teachers and family members to request a person's guns are confiscated by the authorities.
Cuomo celebrated the signing of the legislation saying that the "Red Flag Bill will save lives by empowering school teachers to do something when they believe something bad is going to happen."
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According to Buffalo News, Cuomo and Pelosi were joined by various gun control advocates, including Linda Beigel Schulman, a Long Island woman whose son, slain schoolteacher Scott Beigel, was killed last year at Florida’s Parkland school mass shooting.
“This gun violence issue is a national health epidemic in our country,'' Pelosi said.
"And Mr. President, if you want to talk about emergencies, this is an emergency."
The House in Washington is advancing gun control measures later this week, she said.
The legislation was subject to intense debate from gun rights advocates in the Legislature when it passed in January.
Among the complaints is the difficulty – and financial expense – individuals will have in trying to get their guns returned if or when they are no longer deemed a threat.
Under the new law, school officials, family members, and police can apply to the courts to get a “temporary extreme risk protection order” against an individual.
If initially approved by a judge, the individual would be banned from buying, possessing or attempting to buy firearms for up to six days.
During that time, a hearing would have to be held on extending the length of the order up to one year.
It permits police to confiscate any weapons possessed by the individual.
Tom King, executive director of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association and a board member of the National Rifle Association, last month called the gun control package approved by the Legislature “a massive assault" on Second Amendment rights.
“I don’t want mentally challenged individuals getting a firearm, but this red flag law lacks any sense of due process," King said when the bill passed.
The law allows that “family members, school administrators, and law enforcement officials can seek to get guns confiscated from people deemed by courts to be an ‘extreme risk’ to themselves or others.”
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According to Breitbart, Cuomo said on Monday that the confiscation law “will save lives and doesn’t infringe on anyone’s rights.”
California has a similar confiscation law and it did not prevent the November 7, 2018, Borderline Bar & Grill shooting.
Illinois has a red flag / firearm confiscation law, too, and it did not prevent the February 15, 2019, shooting at the Henry Pratt Company.
Florida also has a red flag / firearm confiscation law, and it did not prevent the August 26, 2018, Jacksonville Landing shooting or the January 23, 2019, SunTrust attack that killed five in Sebring, Florida.
