GRAND ISLAND, N.Y. — A Grand Island Town Councilman will offer a resolution at Tuesday night's town board meeting, asking the town to go on record in support of the Second Amendment, and against any further expansion of New York State’s Safe Act.
"Our rights to bear arms are being infringed," said Town Councilman Mike Madigan.
Such a resolution, if passed, would be largely symbolic in nature.
“But staying silent and on the sidelines is not an option. We need to speak up,” said Madigan, who says his measure has the support of local gun clubs and conservative groups on Grand Island.
Madigan is especially concerned by a proposal that could come before the state legislature as Governor Cuomo seeks to further expand gun control in New York, in the form of a requirement to have gun owners post a $1 million liability bond for their weapons.
While proponents of that measure argue that it would not deny someone their right to own a gun, opponents of the move say making gun ownership more expensive and onerous amounts to a de facto gun ban for some.
“It probably wouldn’t be a lot of money, but some people are living paycheck to paycheck … and low-income people should have the right to have guns just like high-income people. This might prevent them from doing so," Madigan said.
Madigan notes his resolution follows recent declarations by several District Attorneys that they woukd no longer prosecute a provision of the so-called Safe Act, regarding the seven round limit on bullets in a magazine, which was declared unconstitutional by a federal judge.
But DA's are an arm of law enforcement. Town boards are not.
“I took an oath when I took office to support the U.S. Constitution. This is the support part,” Madigan said.
“This is all part of a growing trend to push back against the Safe Act and further ill-conceived gun control efforts coming out of Albany this year," said Steve Felano of 2AWNY.com, a gun rights advocacy website taking aim against expansion of the Safe Act.
“Not too long ago, the state insurance company per the governor sued NRA Carry Guard, which is an insurance provider for gun owners, saying that promoted defensive criminals if there was some type of self-defense issue if they discharged their weapons'" said Felano. “So if his administration is rallying against NRA Carry Guard, why is he now saying well now we need gun owners to have insurance?”
“We are trying to put a stake in the ground before any vote is passed so they (state legislators) know that we have concerns with this legislation that’s being proposed,” Madigan said.
Asked if he felt his resolution would pass, Madigan said he was “cautiously optimistic” because members of the town board have expressed support for the Second Amendment in the past, and the resolution as currently written would ask then to do no more than that.