Legislative Day Raises Awareness for Sportsmen, Outdoorsmen, and Second Amendment Rights
Assemblyman Will Barclay (R,C,I--Pulaski) attended the Sportsmen and Outdoor Recreation Legislative Awareness Day. He is among several who attended the event today to listen to speakers discuss the importance of the Second Amendment, our right to bear arms. Pictured at the podium is Tom King, president of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association.
Assemblyman Will Barclay (R,C,I—Pulaski) said today he was pleased to meet with sportsmen in Albany as part of the annual Sportsmen and Outdoor Recreation Legislative Awareness Day.
The event today featured a keynote speech from Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice President & CEO of the National Rifle Association (NRA), on the importance of ensuring the Second Amendment Constitutional Freedoms of all law-abiding New Yorkers. Tom King, President of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association (NYSRPA), industry leaders and thousands of outdoor enthusiasts from across the state attended this free event.
Hunting, fishing and trapping activities contribute more than $1.8 billion to our economy annually. Snowmobiling is a $476 million industry for the state, with over 130,000 registered snowmobiles on trails each year. There are also roughly 1.9 million New Yorkers who participate in ATV recreation.
"It was great to see so many sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts rallying for Second Amendment Rights and legislation that helps promote the sporting industry today. We need to continue to rally to raise awareness and protect our right to bear arms. Downstate interests in the Assembly would like to make owning a gun more expensive by placing micro-stamping mandates on gun manufacturers. This technology is unproven and would place more costs on New York gun manufacturers," said Barclay.
An Assembly budget bill proposes micro-stamping--a unique alpha-numeric or geometric code on the firing pin, identifying the make, model, and serial number of the pistol. Manufacturers would bear the cost of implementing this new regulation. The success of this technology is unproven, and gun manufacturers have yet to devise technology that can ensure the make, model, and serial number of the pistol is coded into an expended cartridge.
“Our Second Amendment is the core principle that defines our nation. There is no greater freedom than to own a firearm to protect ourselves, our families, our communities and our nation,” said LaPierre. “Thus, Second Amendment freedom is, truly, the heart and soul of America. And it is all at stake this year. This is a fight for our values and for the freedom we believe in. It's all or nothing, and gun owners everywhere, from Albany to Seattle, and from Anchorage to Miami, are signing on. The fight is on and the NRA is ALL IN!”