Local, state leaders raise concerns with new conceal carry permit law taking effect in September

A contingent of Republican state and a local leaders are sounding the alarm on newly passed gun laws set to take effect in just over a month.

Nadia Galindo

Jul 25, 2022, 9:29 PM

Updated 640 days ago

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A contingent of Republican state and a local leaders are sounding the alarm on newly passed gun laws set to take effect in just over a month.
"To date, we've been provided no information, no concept, no ideas," said Putnam County Sheriff Kevin McConville.
McConville said he has had no direction on how he will be required to enforce new state gun laws.
Putnam County Clerk Michael Bartolotti said he has yet to receive new forms and directions on how people can meet new requirements for gun permits.
"There is zero planning. We have zero information coming down from state government," said Bartolotti.
Bartolotti is also the president of the state Association of County Clerks and said his association was not consulted with the new gun laws that greatly impact county clerks across the state.
He was joined Monday morning outside of the Putnam County Sheriff's Office by local Republican leaders to express concern as the new gun laws are set to take effect Sept 1.
One of the laws he is most concerned with will expand eligibility requirements to obtain a permit to conceal carry.
"That paired some of the other changes that we made including the creation of a new permitting process for rifles creates a whole other mandate on our county clerks and our county sheriff’s offices," said Assemblyman Kevin Byrne (District 94).
Republican state lawmakers say the law was rushed through the state Legislature.
The governor signed a package of gun laws earlier this month that came as a response to a Supreme Court decision that found New York’s conceal carry law unconstitutional.
The new laws include:
- Allowing the state to regulate and standardize training for license applicants.
- Restricting conceal carry in sensitive locations, including airports, courthouses, educational institutions, houses of worship and public transportation such as subways and buses.
- Establish state oversight over background checks for firearms and regular checks on license holders for criminal convictions
- Create a statewide license and ammunition database.
- Limit the sale of body armor
News 12 reached out to the governor's office for comment on these concerns and has not heard back.



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