Exactly one month after 20 first graders and six adults were gunned down at the Sandy Hook Elementary school, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislatures proposed a bill to increase gun regulation in New York.
According to insiders, the tentative deal would place a greater restriction on New York's ban on assault weapons and limit the size of magazines from 10 bullets to seven. NY Republicans are also pushing to allow civil confinement for mental health patients determined to be dangerous in addition to a tougher crackdown on illegal gun trafficking into New York.
If enacted, the this would be the nation's first gun control measure taken in light of the Newtown school massacre. The deal was negotiated over the weekend and will be debated on the Senate floor and in the Assembly on Monday and possibly presented later on this week. However, it could face a pushback in the state Senate by conservatives who represent constituencies upstate that are weary of more control.
According to the Associated Press, former Republican Sen. Michael Balboni pointed out that there is a huge contrast in the perception of gun control between New Yorkers outside of the metropolitan region versus those living within the City.
"Gun advocates see these incidents as almost cyclical and that in the wake of a national shooting incident, they have seen repeated calls for control. They view it as a slippery slope to the banning and confiscation of weapons. Emotions run high and there will be tremendous pressure on all upstate legislators, Republicans and Democrats, to keep their base," said Balboni.
In addition, restrictions on gun control could cause the loss of 300 jobs at a major gun manufacturer in upstate New York.