Niagara County Legislature Unanimously Passes Resolution Opposed to New State Gun Control Laws

The Niagara County Legislature unanimously passed a resolution last night opposing new gun control measures that were rushed through the State Legislature this past summer and took effect September 1.  All 15 legislators asked to be sponsors of the bi-partisan resolution.

The resolution not only opposes the new measures, but authorizes the county to take whatever legislative and legal remedies are necessary and appropriate, including working in coalition with other counties, to overturn the state law.

“There is not a single legislator in this room who opposes legislation that would attempt to keep illegal guns off our streets and out of the hands of criminals, but this legislation does not do that,” said Legislator Shawn Foti, co-Chairman of the county’s Gun Owners’ Rights Advisory Panel.  “Instead, this is legislation pushed by those who simply oppose the Second Amendment rights of law abiding New Yorkers and want to set up obstacles and hurdles that discourage people from exercising those rights.”

Niagara County Sheriff Michael Filicetti spoke in support of the resolution and took the state to task over the new gun control laws.

“Let me be clear, that from a law enforcement point of view, there is nothing in this state legislation that will make our communities any safer,” said Filicetti.  “Improving public safety means revisiting issues like bail reform, discovery reform, how we treat repeat juvenile offenders.  Those are the issues that are impacting our neighborhoods, not legal gun ownership.”

Foti said he intends to send the resolution to other counties across the state, asking them to adopt it and to collaborate to overturn the law.  A copy of the resolution can be viewed here.

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