Hudson Valley Campaign For Extreme Risk Gun Safety Law

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — As part of a statewide campaign to pass the Red Flag Gun Protection bill, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo took a bus tour Tuesday of the Hudson Valley, starting in White Plains and ending in Ellenville. The campaign for what is also known as the Extreme Risk Protection Order bill, designed to keep guns out of the hands of people with mental health issues, was kicked off on Long Island Monday.

"We are 23 weeks into the new year. We've had 23 school shootings...How outrageous is that? In a world of outrageous things, how outrageous is that?" Cuomo said. "All the fears about why you can't do gun control, all that NRA propaganda — it'll be a slippery slope, government will come and take over your guns — baloney. We passed the SAFE Act five years ago, it didn't make any difference to legal gun owners."

Westchester District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino joined the governor at White Plains High School, where local elected officials, members of Moms Demand Action, school staff and students showed their support of the bill.

Scarpino has been urging state lawmakers to push what he called "common sense" gun safety legislation through the New York State Senate and get it passed this session. Under the proposed law, he as a DA, or a police officer, teacher, or a family member, could ask a court to grant an 'Extreme Risk Protection Order' petition.

"The safety of our residents is our first concern," Scarpino said. "Let's not wait until a tragedy happens here in Westchester to act. New York State needs a Red Flag law now before we lose another life."

Ellenville School Board President Philip Mattracion also endorsed the bill.

"Rather than perpetuate the idea of more guns in school, the Governor has advanced a bill to raise awareness of mental illness, keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals, and keep classrooms safe," Mattracion said.

But Cuomo acknowledged Tuesday that the bill is stuck in the State Senate. He blamed Republican intransigence, saying that they prefer to be in lockstep with Congress.

"To give you a sense of the lunacy of this partisan environment that we are in: We need one Republican vote. Just one Republican vote out of 31. One. And we can't get one Republican vote," Cuomo said. "These school shootings—Democratic children are being killed and Republican children are being killed."

SEE ALSO: Westchester DA Urges NY Lawmakers To Pass 'Red Flag' Gun Law

Images/ Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Office