Story highlights
NRA: The governor and state legislature "usurped ... the democratic process"
The new laws were the first in the nation to be enacted after the Newtown school massacre
The National Rifle Association’s New York state affiliate filed a federal lawsuit Thursday in Buffalo contesting the constitutionality of the SAFE Act, the sweeping gun-control bill Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law in January, the group announced in a press release.
The new laws fortify New York’s existing assault weapons ban, limit the number of bullets allowed in ammunition magazines and strengthen rules that govern the mentally ill, which includes a requirement to report potentially harmful behavior.
“Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature usurped the legislative and democratic process in passing these extreme anti-gun measures with no committee hearings and no public input,” Chris Cox, executive director of NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action said in the release.
“This obvious disrespect for New Yorkers and their Second Amendment rights will not be tolerated,” he added.
New York’s new laws include a statewide gun registry and a uniform licensing standard, altering the current system in which each county or municipality sets its own standard.
Residents are now restricted to purchasing ammunition magazines that carry seven bullets, rather than 10.
The laws were the first in the nation to be enacted after the Newtown, Connecticut, school massacre.
New York authorities said last week they had reached a deal with 23 gun show operators in the state after an investigation revealed weapons were sold without proper background checks.