BUFFALO, N.Y. — 10 Years Ago This Week in 2013
In the wake of the a recent mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, New York enacted what were the toughest gun control laws at the time with passage of the New York SAFE Act.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo submitted the bill as a "matter of necessity" to state legislators, thereby skirting the usual three day incubation period for bills, and therefore any debate.
Passed in the middle of the night, the law drew criticism from gun owners who feared a further incursion on 2nd Amendment rights while noting criminals would not obey such requirements as registering certain semi automatic rifles in their possession or abiding by a new regulation that no more than 7 bullets could be loaded into a gun's magazine.
Though portions of the law were later struck down by courts, much of the SAFE Act remains in tact to this day.
And while supporters clamed it would stem gun violence and mass shootings in particular, both still occur with disturbing frequency 10 years later.
20 Years Ago In 2003
When NY Gov. George Pataki delivered his State of State Address, he turned to shake hands with four of the state's top elected leaders who were standing on dais behind him.
Incredibly, all four; NYS Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, State Comptroller Alan Hevesi, Elliot Spitzer (who was at that time the state's Attorney General) and NYS Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, would all see their political careers later end in disgrace after either being charged with crimes or being caught up in scandal.
"Cramming", the practice of companies stuffing phone and utility bills with unauthorized charges, was a subject of consumer news, U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins was serving as a member of the New York State Assembly, hip hugger jeans were among the hottest new fashion trends, and an entire family put itself up for sale on eBay (and were interviewed on the NBC Today show because of it),this week in 2003
30 Years Ago This Week in 1993
There were long lines at the post offices around Buffalo and across the nation as folks pushed to be first to buy a stamp that was issued at noon on January 8, 1993.
The postal service had taken the unprecedented step of allowing the public to vote on the design of the stamp from two choices presented, and over the course of more than 6 months some 1.2 million Americans had cast ballots.
The stamp, which remains the most popular U.S. commemorative stamp of all time, is the subject of this week's News 2 You Pop Quiz (for the answer, watch the story in the video player).
This was back when you could still buy a large pepperoni pizza in Buffalo for under $5, and when gas was selling for $1.16 per gallon.
It was also a week marred by a tragedy over the Niagara River, when a traffic helicopter operating for WGR radio hit some power lines near Isle View Park while flying in low clouds.
Veteran broadcaster Mike Roszman and his pilot, Herm Kuhn, were both killed in the accident which marked one of the darkest days in the long history of Buffalo broadcasting.