Paterson cracks down on gun laws

Gov. David Paterson is introducing legislation that would allow the state to tell the FBI if a New Yorker trying to buy a gun has been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility, according to the AP.

 

The proposal would disqualify those applicants from getting a gun, but federal law would require states to create a way for people to apply to remove their name from the registry, AP is reporting.

 

The legislation is a reaction to the Virginia Tech tragedy last year, when a mentally ill student shot 32 people dead, then killed himself.

 

The state Assembly passed a similar measure last month. Senate Republicans aren’t commenting except to say they will look at the bill, but haven’t seen it yet, according to the report.