ALBANY, N.Y. (WBEN) With New York State on the verge of setting new requirements for gun owners, Governor Kathy Hochul, defended the proposed legislation during an appearance on WBEN Thursday morning, the first appearance since becoming the state's chief executive.
"I'm trying to prevent deaths while respecting the rights of gun owners.
We'll find the right balance. I'm very familiar with the culture and I
understand people's concerns, but I have a responsibility to protect lives
in this state, and that's what I'm doing," said Hochul.
The state legislature is meeting in a special session Thursday to
strengthen concealed carry laws in New York after part of the state's
permitting process was struck down by the Supreme court last week.
Among proposals being presented to lawmakers, New York would ban
people from carrying firearms into many places of business unless the
owners put up a sign explicitly saying guns are welcome.
Is she asking businesses to take a political stand?
"I think if you ask business owners if they feel comfortable with someone
coming in with guns in their pocket, especially a bar, which is open until 4am, I think I'm respecting the rights of property owners to do what they choose. There's not an automatic assumption that everybody sitting at a bar is going to have a concealed weapon. They have control over that. They can decide
if they want that to happen, or if they don't. I'm giving them the power
to determine."
Hochul said the goal is to make sure people are safe, period. She referenced
the mass shooting at Tops Market in Buffalo on May 14.
"After we saw what happened in Buffalo, which was a different circumstance, I'm not saying that was a person with a concealed carry permit, you have to think about the fact that there are many, many guns out there in the hands of criminals. That's what we're going after. And, also making sure that we have sensible gun legislation. It's that simple," she said.
Related
Noting that the state is holding public listening sessions Thursday on plans to
cover about one mile of the 33 Expressway, between East Ferry and Best Street, Hochul indicated that "public input is critically important." She was then asked why the state is not seeking public input on the new gun changes. "We have a legislature that represents the public and people representing the community will have their voices heard. That's how our body of government works," she added.
