Assemblyman Scott Gray (R-Watertown) released the latest episode of “The Gray Area” video series. In this week’s episode, Gray discusses the newly instated Concealed Carry Improvement Act provisions and how they will impact firearm and ammunition purchases.

“Just as we expected, there are a great deal of problems with the new ammunition background check system. The new fee incurred on gun store owners for each individual background check is a problem, but even more troublesome, you have to pay it on the front end of the transaction, meaning the gun store owner is burdened with that fee whether you walk away with ammunition or get denied,” Gray said.

“There are also major delays in background checks with a high probability of being prevented from bringing your purchase home on the day you make it. This is very unnecessary, and it needs to be changed. This system doesn’t accommodate out-of-state residents, it doesn’t accommodate the Amish population and certainly will not accommodate giving ammunition as a gift. Records management is another considerable issue as there is no record retention and no way to search previous entries, so you have to do this process each and every time you want to buy ammunition. On top of that, you have to give a tremendous amount of information, including your Social Security number, which is a huge security concern and is ripe for a breach.”

“We have written a letter to the governor and the acting superintendent of the State Police to try to implement some changes into this system. Ideally, a compromise would be to certify people for a year, give them either an identification card, ammunition card or give them a number with the ability to flag that number, if necessary, and stop subsequent purchases. That would be a win considering what we’re going through right now—this system is a red-hot mess.”

“We’ll continue to monitor these new changes and communicate improvements we think can be made to this system. Look out for next week’s episode of The Gray Area and don’t hesitate to call my office staff with questions, comments or concerns—see you soon,” Gray concluded.

Editor’s Note: Please find attached Assemblyman Scott Gray’s letter to the governor and the acting superintendent of the State Police expressing concerns regarding new background check procedures.

Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/P5it3oH3DLs?si=bB7F7V-gaMfzfi7M