Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - With the Buffalo lighthouse and the shoreline of Lake Erie at their backs, a contingent of Republican lawmakers joined forces Thursday in calling for the repeal of the Green Light law in New York State.
Among the provisions of the controversial law, it prohibits the Department of Motor Vehicles from sharing information with U.S. Department of Homeland Security, preventing DHS from fully vetting New York residents. And the concerns don't stop on land, says this group of lawmakers. There are real security concerns on NYS waterways as well.
"It's having direct impacts on our security here," says Rep. Tom Reed who represents a portion of the western southern tier. Reed says federal authorities like the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Border Patrol are blind when approaching vessels on Lake Erie due to the provision in the law. "It is a class e felony to share information," says Reed.
Borrello, Reed and New York State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt realize the political environment in Albany doesn't present a tangible opportunity to see the law repealed, but say that shouldn't stop them from pointing out the real security concerns the law presents and for asking that some sort of compromise to be negotiated.
"They are more concerned with the rights and protections of those folks who put the public safety at risk than they are with the laws of the land than with the people who are charged with protesting the public," Ortt says in referencing the Democratic controlled NYS Legislature and Executive branch.