Dr. Evil
20×102mm Vulcan
ALBANY, N.Y. (WRGB) — Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James announced an expansion of the state's red flag law Monday.
The law puts safeguards into place to remove firearms from potentially dangerous individuals. Hochul and James announced a $4.6 million increase to the attorney general's 2023 budget to further support New York State Police's efforts to obtain extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs) when individuals pose a danger to themselves or others.
As part the the announcement, Hochul stated there was a significant increase in the use of the red flag law.
Final ERPOshave increased from 614 to 1,410, an increase of 130 percent, and temporaryERPOs have increased from 938 to 2,050, an increase of 119 percent. The averagenumber of ERPOs issued a month increased to 403 from June 2022 through October2022, compared to just 45 per month from October 2019 through May 2022. (NYS/WRGB)
The state has issued more than 1,900 ERPOs, double the amount from 2019 when the law went into effect.
New gun laws went into effect Sept. 1, with firearms prohibited in what the state calls “sensitive locations,” which includes government buildings, any place that serves alcohol, parks, schools, colleges and hospitals, among others.
What followed was a seesaw of litigation, with a federal judge halting key provisions, including where people can carry weapons and handing over social media information for those that are seeking a permit.
MORE: Governor Hochul calls federal judge ruling on NY gun laws "deeply disappointing"
The Attorney General's Office quickly responded with an appeal, with an appeals court ruling that all of New York’s concealed carry rules will remain in effect for now.
Hochul has come under fire over from all sides, including gun owners and county sheriffs.
The gun laws also created further confusion, after many historic reenactment groups canceled various summer events, for fear of breaking the law.
MORE: NYS Sheriff's Association addressing gun law confusion following reenactment cancelations
The New York Sheriffs Association says they are hoping the governor and the legislature will re-evaluate the law and law enforcement agencies have a part of that process. (WRGB)
The governor responded, “Governor Hochul passed new public safety laws to protect New Yorkers and keep them safe from gun violence. These laws allow historical re-enactments to occur, and there should be no concern otherwise. We will work with legislators and local law enforcement to ensure these events can proceed as they have for centuries. In the meantime, individuals who have lawfully participated in reenactments should continue to do so.”
MORE: Federal Judge Issues Temporary Stay on Gun Ban in NY Churches
Peter Kehoe, executive director of the New York State Sheriffs Association, told CBS6 back in late September that the letter of the law is clear, and that "the governor has no authority to say but we didn't really mean it. "
At a recent New York State Police graduation, the governor touted that around 8,000 guns have been taken off the streets.