Senator Charles E. Schumer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 19, 2009

SCHUMER TO WARN: SNEAK ATTACK LEGISATION THAT WOULD BLOW NYC'S GUN LAWS WIDE ON THE U.S. SENATE FLOOR TOMORROW - COULD PASS THIS WEEK

Dangerous Legislation Would Allow Anyone Whose State Allows Them to Carry a Concealed Weapon to Carry a Gun on the Streets of NYC

Bill Would Eviscerate NY's Tough Conceal and Carry Restrictions and Allow Tens of Thousands of New Guns to Flow in to NYC

Schumer to Announce he Will Move to Stop the Amendment by Any Means Necessary

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today warned that a dangerous new proposal that would override New York’s tough conceal and carry restrictions could be passed by the United States Senate as early as tomorrow. The legislation, authored by South Dakota Senator John Thune, would force communities across the nation to permit individuals from other states to carry hidden and loaded handguns in public. The Thune Amendment is particularly dangerous to New York which has some of the most stringent restrictions on concealed carry permit applicants. Schumer said that many states have weaker conceal and carry laws. This means New York would be swamped with armed individuals from out of state carrying hidden and loaded firearms that would risk the safety of residents, families and law enforcement officials.

“Of all the gun legislation, this one takes the cake because it directly threatens the safety of New Yorkers. To say that someone who gets a conceal and carry license under the most lenient standards of another state can then bring that gun, concealed, in to New York City and have the NYPD powerless to stop them is simply appalling.”

"New York is the safest large city in the country. We also have well balanced and sensible gun laws enacted by New York's elected officials for our public safety. We cannot allow New York's gun laws to be gutted for the sake of a very small minority of gun enthusiasts. New Yorkers Against Gun Violence is appalled that the safety of New York's children, families and police should be so cavalierly compromised by Senators who were never elected by New Yorkers" said Jackie Hilly Executive Director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence

Schumer said the legislation would require every state with a conceal and carry to law to honor conceal and carry licenses issued by any other state. Since New York has some of the toughest conceal and carry laws in the country, if this legislation were to pass, it would mean that a person could go to another state, get a conceal license, and then be able to carry that gun, concealed, back in to New York City. Under the amendment, to carry concealed weapons people need only meet the minimum requirements of federal law to possess a gun, be permitted in their home state to carry a concealed weapon, and abide by a state’s location restrictions for concealed carrying.

Several states across the country have very weak conceal and carry restrictions, many of which issue permits to people with misdemeanor criminal convictions, long arrest records, alcohol abuse problems, and no safety training. Under the new legislation, New York State would be forced to honor those conceal and carry licenses.

New York State currently has no licensing reciprocity agreements with any other states. New York is a “may issue state” meaning the state retains discretion in who receives and who doesn't

Amendment No. 1618 has now been added to the defense authorization bill (S. 1390) by Senator John Thune (R-SD) and the Senate will vote on it on Monday evening, July 20.

Schumer will announce that he will take to the Senate floor tomorrow and fight to defeat the amendment.

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