New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo threatened to file a lawsuit Tuesday if Congress passes pro-Second Amendment legislation that would roll back the state’s major 2013 gun control law known as the SAFE Act.
“If they try to overrule the State of New York we will sue because this state has rights too,” Cuomo told reporters. “And especially with this federal government, it is very important that states represent their rights and assert their rights and I will assert my rights to the fullest extent of the law.”
The Second Amendment Guarantee Act (H.R. 3576), or SAGA, proposed by New York Republican Rep. Chris Collins, would void present state and local gun laws that are more restrictive than federal regulations.
Sarah Minkel, a spokeswoman for Collins, touted his legislation telling The New York Daily News, “Governor Cuomo took away the Constitutional rights of Americans when he signed the so-called SAFE Act into law.”
“If Governor Cuomo wants to criticize Congressman Collins for sticking up for his constituents by protecting their Second Amendment rights, or for working to reduce their property taxes, he can answer to them in 2018,” Minkel added.
In addition, the bill prevents states and municipalities from enacting any kind of of gun laws in the future that are more stringent than federal regulations.
The legislation would not only affect a state like New York but also states like Colorado, California, Maryland, New Jersey, and Connecticut that have gun restrictive laws. These state laws can range from limiting firearm magazine rounds to banning certain types of firearms and registering ammunition.
