Assemblyman Meets with Cattaraugus County SCOPE in wake of Albany gun violence
From the Office of NYS Assemblyman Joe Sempolinski
LITTLE VALLEY – Members of Cattaraugus County SCOPE asked Assemblyman Joe Sempolinski if shootings over the Fourth of July weekend in the state capital will result in more restrictive gun legislation, including calls to ban flare guns.
Albany erupted in gunfire last weekend with 10 separate shootings. A building a block from the state capital also burned down after a flare, aimed at a person, struck the building just a block from Empire State Plaza, the heart of state government.
All of the suspects are minors, who wielded illegal guns. Due to New York’s Raise the Age law, adopted in 2018 after one-party government in Albany took effect, none of the suspects can be charged as adults. Opposed by Republican members of the Legislature who called it a “gang recruitment tool,” the law raised the age of criminal responsibility to 18.
“I believe actions should have consequences and that we should punish criminals, not law-abiding gun owners,” Assemblyman Sempolinski said. “Unfortunately, my colleagues in the majority, including Gov. Hochul, have chosen to prioritize the rights of criminals over the rights of crime victims.
“Our first responsibility as elected officials should be to protect our constituents and ensure, to the best of our ability, that our neighborhoods and streets are safe places for people to live and work. Sadly, the current regime in power in Albany has lost sight of that,” Assemblyman Sempolinski said.
Members of the Cattaraugus County Shooters Committee on Political Education (SCOPE) invited Assemblyman Sempolinski to address their monthly meeting Thursday in Little Valley.
“I will always reject any policy that prioritizes criminals over crime victims,” Assemblyman Sempolinski said. “New York has no future if it continues to be the spending and crime capital of America. In poll after poll, New Yorkers say safety and the affordability crisis are their two top priorities. I don’t work for anyone in Albany. I work for the hard-working people of the 148th Assembly District and I will continue to fight for common-sense policies that help them and their families.”
Assemblyman Joe Sempolinski represents the 148th New York Assembly District, which consists of all of Cattaraugus and Allegany counties and portions of Steuben County. For more information, visit Assemblyman Sempolinski’s website.
