Assemblyman Will Barclay (R,C,I-Pulaski) voted against legislation today which severely limits residents’ Constitutional right to bear arms. Barclay said the bill places unreasonable restrictions on responsible gun owners and said he was disappointed with the process by which the measure passed, as it did not allow for public input or the three-day period lawmakers are, by law, allowed to consider bills.

“The bill that passed the Assembly today is an affront to our 2nd Amendment Rights and to legal, responsible gun owners,” said Barclay. “There are parts of this legislation that I could support, such as increased penalties for illegal firearm usage and the mental health provisions. However, I cannot support a bill that severely restricts our Constitutional rights. Restricting access to firearms is not a solution to solving gun violence in our communities.

“With this measure, the Governor and those who voted in favor of the bill have effectively criminalized gun owners in this state, all for the sake of a political agenda. Tying its passage to heinous crimes committed by mentally ill who operate guns illegally does nothing to prevent future gun crimes. Passing legislation hastily like this won't prevent a tragedy like what happened in Connecticut.

“Further, passing a bill that directly infringes upon our Second Amendment rights without taking the time for the public and the Legislature to weigh in on school safety and other ways to protect our loved ones is shameful. Instead, New York made national headlines by being the first state to infringe on our 2nd Amendment Rights.”