Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,I,C-Batavia) participated in the Assembly Minority Conference’s third annual Sportsmen’s Day celebration in support of the second amendment and New York’s outdoors traditions. Thousands of people attended the event sponsored by Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb, featuring a keynote address from Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice President & CEO of the National Rifle Association (NRA). Hawley met with Western New York outdoorsmen and women and discussed his commitment to protecting our right to bear arms and partake in the gifts rural Upstate has to offer its residents and its economy.

“Sportsmen carry on time-honored traditions passed on from generation to generation that contribute not only to our identity but our economy as well,” said Hawley. “Our second amendment rights are constantly under assault by out-of-touch politicians from New York City who disregard our way of life in Western New York. The outpouring of support this event receives every year from responsible gun owners sends a message loud and clear that we have the numbers, we are the majority, and we will not cede our rights to the outspoken few.”

In addition to Leader Kolb and NRA Executive Director LaPierre, speakers included Tom King, president of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association (NYSRPA); Stephen Aldstadt, president of the Shooters Committee On Political Education (S.C.O.P.E.); and Dr. Larry Rudolph, chief communications officer for Safari Club International, Inc. Thousands of hunters, sportsmen and outdoor recreation enthusiasts from around the state had an opportunity to interact with over 20 heritage sports organizations and companies and attend educational presentations by New York State 4-H Shooting Sports and the New York State Conservation Fund Advisory Board.