For Release: Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Washington, DC–In response to passage of New York ’s tough new gun law, Violence Policy Center Executive Director Josh Sugarmann issued the following statement:
“With swift passage of a strengthened assault weapons ban, meaningful limits on magazine capacity, background checks for all gun purchases, and other important provisions, New York state undoubtedly now has one of the strongest gun laws in the country. The state’s new ‘one characteristic’ test banning assault weapons and tightened high-capacity magazine ban will save lives by limiting the firepower available to civilians and halt the sale in New York of ‘ban compliant’ assault rifles designed to exploit the limitations of the old ‘two characteristics’ assault weapons ban. New York is building on a record of success as the state currently has one of the lowest gun death rates in the country, ranking 46th for 2010 according to data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Governor Cuomo is to be commended for his swift action to help prevent mass shootings that tear at the fabric of the communities where they occur and diminish the safety of all Americans.”
About the Violence Policy Center
The Violence Policy Center is a national educational organization working to stop gun death and injury. Follow the VPC on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
