New York Governor Kathy Hochul.Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
New York has become the first state to enact a major tightening of gun regulations in the wake of a spate of mass shootings, with Gov. Kathy Hochulsigning 10 gun-related billsinto law on Monday. One of those bills will raise the age requirement for purchasing semiautomatic rifles.
Previously, anyone under the age of 18 could purchase a semiautomatic rifle. Under the new law, the age will be raised to 21.
“Today is the start,” Hochul said at a press conference Monday, “and it’s not the end.”
A memorial across the street from Tops supermarket on Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo, NY.Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty
Many lawmakers have called for tighter restrictions on guns following last month’s prominent mass shootings, but Congress has failed to pass any major piece of federal gun control legislation in recent years.
“Gun violence is an epidemic that is tearing our country apart. Thoughts and prayers won’t fix this, but taking strong action will,” Hochulsaid in a statement. “In New York, we’re taking bold steps to protect the people of our state.”
In a primetime address delivered last week, PresidentJoe Bidencontinuedpushing D.C. lawmakersto stand up and act on “commonsense” gun laws, and called for a federal ban on assault weapons.
“We need to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. And if we can’t ban assault weapons, then we should raise the age to purchase them from 18 to 21,” Biden said. “Strengthen background checks. Enact safe storage laws and red-flag laws. Repeal the immunity that protects gun manufacturers from liability. Address the mental health crisis deepening the trauma of gun violence and as a consequence of that violence.”
The president added that the proposed measures were “rational” and “commonsense.”
To express your opinion on gun reform proposals to your own representatives in Congress, you can look them up and contact them here:congress.gov/members
source: people.com
