Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,I,C-Batavia) today cast his vote against a poor legislative process that shut the public out of a critical discourse and prevented a measured, responsible approach to protecting our children and families. Major gun control legislation was brought to the Assembly floor without any public commentary or proper time for legislative review. Hawley indicated that the hasty process betrayed the need for compassionate, reasonable and substantive debate.

“In light of recent tragedies in places like Webster and Newtown, I share our community’s desire to ensure that New York’s laws provide the public safety protections that our families need and deserve. However, the hurried passage of this critical legislation is an example of government dysfunction at its worst,” said Hawley. “Forcing through a massive overhaul of gun control regulations without properly reviewing any of the constitutional or budgetary implications is the kind of unaccountability that has caused the public to lose its faith and trust in Congress. Instead of hastily infringing upon the Second Amendment rights of New Yorkers, we should have engaged in a measured debate that truly protects our children and families from dangerous criminals and those unfit to bear arms. The dysfunction of Albany and the total disregard for our citizens’ input into this process is totally unacceptable!”