Capital District SCOPE

From Truth About Guns, 2/20/24:

Dexter Taylor is the kind of guy most of us would hang out with. Not only is he hard-working and intelligent, working as a software engineer, but he chooses challenging hobbies. A while back, he got into building gun parts in his spare time, and was even considering going into business.

“I found out that you can actually legally buy a receiver and you can machine that receiver to completion, and you buy your parts and you put them together and you’ve got a pistol or a rifle,” Taylor said in a podcast interview. “And once I saw that I was hooked. I was like, ‘This is the coolest thing ever. This is the most cool thing you could possibly do in your machine shop.’”

Recently, after enjoying his hobby with no issues for years, his sleep was interrupted by loud voices and noises. Agents of the state and federal governments had kicked in his front door in a no-knock raid. He then spent a week in jail at Rikers Island under charges for building “ghost guns.” As part of a “Bruen response” bill, New York outlawed a slew of things, while also making it difficult to impossible to get a license.

Taylor also happens to be black, and he thinks that the state’s actions against him are a serious violation of his rights. “New York State has no more right to tell me that I may not keep and bear arms than it has to tell me I have to sit in the back of the bus,” he told RedState.

Anti-gun judges tried to deny his claim, saying that he couldn’t get standing because he didn’t apply for a license, but his lawyer leveraged the low issue rates in the post-Bruen environment to show that the state’s argument was both disingenuous and unconstitutional. So, he’s got a decent shot at winning his case and staying free.

But, getting there won’t be cheap. There’s a GiveSendGo fundraiser for his legal fees, with an aim of reaching $200,000. So far, he’s only about $16,000 into it, so lots more help will be needed.

There’s a whole lot more on the line here than just the freedom of one man. The RedState story mentions a number of other people whose cases aren’t going as well. His case could be the breakthrough case that not only frees up people’s ability to home brew firearms, but literally frees others who are rotting in “hellish, deadly conditions” at Rikers Island for the great crime of possessing a gun.

https://www.givesendgo.com/dtaylor_2a_legal

Article:      https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/a-brave-new-yorker-needs-our-help-keeping-his-freedom/

Under Assemblyman Steck’s bill, the NY Attorney General can bring civil and criminal actions in NY State courts against any NY State resident or the ammunition seller in another state, when ammunition is purchased in another state and it does not go through NY State’s background check.

Example Letter:

Dear Assemblyman X,

Please oppose bill A08443. It gives the attorney general the power to bring civil and criminal actions to a NY resident who buys ammo in another state, and also to bring civil and criminal actions to a seller of ammo another state who sells ammo to a NY resident. This is wrong, unconstitutional, and against the congress’ authority over interstate commerce. The supreme court would never uphold this law. Many people are close to the state border, or travel through neaby states frequently, and this law is foolish. Please don’t support it.

Who is my Assemblymember:  https://nyassembly.gov/mem/search/

https://scopeny2a.org/page-18268

https://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&leg_video=&bn=A08443&term=2023&Summary=Y&Text=Y

See the chart going back to 2015 for a perspective on all the upstate airports.

ALBANY, N.Y. – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers stopped 20 handguns at Upstate New York airport security checkpoints in 2023, a decrease from the 23 caught in 2022.

https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/releases/2024/01/10/guns-detected-tsa-checkpoints-upstate-new-york-decreased-2023

The article below talks about the types of questions an attorney is asking potential jurors on a real court case involving a shooting in someone’s driveway in upstate New York.

https://cbs6albany.com/news/trial-of-kevin-monahan/seven-jurors-sat-in-the-third-day-of-the-kevin-monahan-trial-kaylin-gillis-justice-driveway-hebron-washington-county-shooting-murder-crime-charge-schuylerville-ny-upstate-national-new-york-thursday-juries-jury-april-2023-

“I am against the recent alteration of the ‘engaging in the business’ definition.

This change, which Director Dettelbach and the BATFE website claim clarifies the term, actually introduces more vagueness and complexity compared to the longstanding definition from 1968. Such ambiguity grants the BATFE and legal authorities excessive leeway to manipulate the definition, potentially targeting law-abiding gun owners and collectors. Historically, the BATFE has exploited legal uncertainties to unjustly prosecute gun enthusiasts.

Furthermore, this redefinition contradicts the intentions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, leading to greater confusion and potential misuse. It appears that the primary aim of this change is to hinder private firearm transfers, pushing them towards licensed dealers, thus necessitating extensive paperwork and record-keeping. Effectively, this rule seems like an attempt to establish an indirect gun registry, a concept consistently opposed by Congress.

This alteration not only exceeds the BATFE’s jurisdiction but also challenges constitutional boundaries. As such, it warrants complete rejection.”

WHERE TO SEND LETTER:  https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/09/08/2023-19177/definition-of-engaged-in-the-business-as-a-dealer-in-firearms

Support our Massachusetts brothers on the 27th and make a day of it.

From Ammoland:

On Sunday, August 27th, Massachusetts’s Gun Owners Action League will be holding a “2A Freedom Celebration” in Quincy, MA. Join fellow Second Amendment supporters to rally against HD 4420, “an act modernizing firearm laws.” HD 4420 leaves no stone unturned when it comes to restricting your Second Amendment rights. Below are just some of the numerous anti-gun policies in this massive bill.

“2A Freedom Celebration” in Quincy, Massachusetts
As written, HD 4420:

1.   Institutes a new, broad “Assault Weapons Ban,” including firearms already owned by law-abiding citizens.

2.  Bans all federally legal tax-stamped automatic firearms.

3.  Gun bans on possessing any gun, loaded, or unloaded at:
-A ll state, county, and municipal buildings.
-All polling places.
-Any private property unless the owner has provided express consent or has posted signage allowing firearms on their property.

4. Mandates Safe Storage laws.

5. Mandates new training requirements including costly written exams and  live  fire training.

6. Mandates registration of all guns and feeding devices.

7. Mandates reporting of any modifications or new parts to a gun.

8. Mandates serializing all firearm parts.

9. Bans anyone under 21 from acquiring or carrying any semi-automatic rifle or  shotgun.

10. Bans anyone under 15 taking part in shooting sports and training.

11. Places new mandates, protocols, and training requirements on retailers.

Updated 8/4/23

The two main highlights make it illegal to possess a firearm while intoxicated in a public space and it outlines penalties for each firearm discharge. Under the newly amended ordinance each shot would be subjected to a fine, that would range from $250 to $2,500.  The penalty for carry a firearm in a public space while intoxicated would be $250 or up to 15 days in jail.  The amendment passed with a 3 to 2 vote.

Montagnino and Kim voted in favor of the bill, along with Commissioner of Finance Minita Sanghvi. Moran and Golub voted against the bill.

From News Channel 13 News:

EASTON – The weekend burglary at Beecroft’s Shooters Supply on State Route 40 was quick, destructive, and deliberate, State Police said.

Someone drove a stolen SUV through the front wall of the business backwards, presumably to lessen the likelihood that there’d be front end damage to the car, which could have hindered their getaway, said police.

At about 7:30 a.m. Sunday, there probably wasn’t much – if any – traffic on the main thoroughfare through Easton. Because the homes are built so far apart, it’s unlikely anyone would have heard what must have been the very loud noise of a 2019 Kia Sportage crashing through the front of the building.

The car had been stolen from Schenectady prior to the burglary, State Police said. After viewing security footage, police also tell NewsChannel 13 multiple individuals got out of the car, stole merchandise, got back in the car, and then took off.

It is perplexing – but also a great deal of relief – for folks to find out after someone broke into a gun shop, there were no guns reported missing.

Because there were no firearms reported missing from Beecroft’s, the ATF is not involved in what will be an ongoing burglary investigation.

The stolen vehicle used during the Beecroft’s burglary had been recovered by early Monday afternoon, State Police said.

End of session wrap-up
On: June 11, 2023
The state legislature is in recess. The Assembly may come back for a special session in a few weeks, but no gun-related items are on the talked about agenda as of now.

Here is the list of relevant gun control bills which passed this session:

A-2209/S-816, Makes clarifying changes to the definition of imitation weapon.
A-5092/S-4879, Provides that the legislative body of the county of Westchester shall fix the fee to be charged for a license to carry or possess a pistol or revolver and provide for the disposition of such fees.
A-5791A/S-6238A, Defines the term mass shooting for purposes of emergency response measures and access to emergency funding.
A-5835/S-3436, Exempts applications for an Extreme Risk Protection Order from requiring an index number fee.

Everytown’s Albany agenda was primarily to get funding for various money-funnel schemes including the Grieving Families Act and payments to so-called gun violence survivors. Absent any push-back they pretty much got what they wanted.

Also, they talked with at least one Assemblyman on “smart guns.” I’m sure it has to do with this, “Smart guns finally arriving in U.S., seeking to shake up firearms market,” although there is no bill specifically on this subject. It is reasonable to assume legislation will be introduced on it in the near future.

In New York, the New York State High School Clay Target League saw 2,546 athletes competing from 144 schools. Given those huge numbers, there has not been one single injury ever reported since the league’s inception in 2001 making the clay target league THE SAFEST SPORT in all of high school sports.

The tournament, June 10th and 11th, will be held (trap shooting portion) at Bridgeport Rod and Gun Club in Bridgeport. A total of 1,505 students from 123 schools will be represented at this shoot. The skeet portion of the shoot will be held at The DeWitt Fish and Game Club in Jamesville on the same dates.

The Capital Region schools participating in the tournaments are Argyle, Berlin, Berne-Knox-Westerlo, Bolton, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, Coxsackie-Athens, Fort Ann, Galway, Granville, Hoosick Falls, Hudson Falls, Johnsburg, Lansingburgh, Mohonasen, Sharon Springs, South Glens Falls, Taconic Hills, Tamarac, Voorheesville, Warrensburg and Whitehall. Support your school.

For more detailed information or to get your school on board, visit http://ny.traptournament.com or email dtri@usaclaytarget.com.