Assault Rifles and The Impact of New York State’s SAFE Act (REPRINTED FROM 2018)

***THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY RAN FOUR YEARS AGO IN CITYLAW*** The SAFE Act, the acronym for the Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act – New York State’s January, 2013 omnibus gun control law – provides an excellent opportunity to assess the potential impact of maximally politically feasible gun control, an exercise all the more relevant in the wake of the mass shooting in Las Vegas.  The SAFE Act did not have to be negotiated or compromised.  … <Read More>


Guest Commentary: Effective Gun Control or Symbolic Politics

Congress and many states face political obstacles in passing gun controls. But in states where there are no such political obstacles like New York, existing gun control laws remain unimplemented and unenforced. Proponents of gun laws nevertheless argue that the next law will have a big impact. Gun control requires more than passing laws; gun laws must be effectively implemented and enforced. Often they are not.