Yesterday the U.S. Supreme Court issued a disastrous ruling that reversed the federal ban on bump stocks. This is an irresponsible and alarming decision that will make our communities less safe. It’s also another example of this iteration of the Court’s seeming indifference toward commonsense gun regulations.

Bump stocks can be used to replace the standard stock of a semi-automatic firearm, enabling it to fire at the rate of an automatic weapon. In recent years, we have seen mass shooters use this modification device on multiple occasions. The most horrific instance was the 2017 Las Vegas massacre, in which the shooter used bump stocks to modify his guns to fire rapidly, killing 60 people and injuring hundreds more in the deadliest shooting in our country’s history. Yesterday’s Supreme Court decision recklessly increases the chances of something like this happening again.

Criminals seek out bump stocks solely to cause more carnage than they could with conventional firearms, and measures to keep them out of the wrong hands are crucial to protecting our communities. In 2020, in an effort to combat gun violence, I fought for and voted to ban bump stocks in New York State. That legislation passed, is still in effect, and is now more important than ever. We must continue to place the highest value on people’s right to live safely and without fear. This is the right that I’ll continue to fight for and legislate to protect.