Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation Tuesday that would temporarily take away the guns of people accused of domestic violence.
Cuomo organized a signing ceremony that included a student from the Parkland, Florida, school where the Feb. 14 mass shooting occurred, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The governor said taking guns away from domestic violence offenders helps to diffuse potentially deadly situations.
“Common sense, if you have domestic violence perpetrators or you have a person with an order of protection, take away the guns,” Cuomo said to applause.
But Cuomo said New York can’t do it alone, and that national gun safety measures must be enacted. He blamed a combination of what he said are “extreme conservatives” in Washington and the lobbying power of the NRA.
The sponsor of the bill in the state Senate, Elaine Phillips, a Republican from Long Island, said she’s “confident” that the new law “will protect women, men and children from their abusers and prevent further tragedies.”
A judge will determine whether an alleged abuser’s guns can be taken, and Phillips said the court system will now have “better guidelines” for when to take the firearms — and when it’s safe to give them back.
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