The National Rifle Association is suing the state of New York over a law passed in January that tightens existing laws on gun control.
The lawsuit, filed on Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, according to WIVB4, could be the first in a lengthy court battle that might eventually end at the Supreme Court.
The New York SAFE Act, signed in January by Governor Andrew Cuomo, includes provisions such as requiring mental health professionals to report to local officials if they believe a patent “is likely to engage in conduct that will cause serious harm to themselves or others,” according to a press release at the time. Also included was stronger regulations on ammunition, which are currently being debated as part of state budget negotiations, and a tougher ban on assault weapons.
The shootings at Newtown, Connecticut prompted the measures.
Now, the National Rifle Association (NRA), which represents gun owners and generally fights against any legislation pushing gun control, will challenge the legality of the measures.
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“Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature usurped the legislative and democratic process in passing these extreme anti-gun measures with no committee hearings and no public input,” said Chris Cox, executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action, in a statement. “This obvious disrespect for New Yorkers and their Second Amendment rights will not be tolerated.”
The passed measures infringe on the right of law-abiding citizens to keep “commonly possessed guns” in homes for defense and other legal purposes, according to the lawsuit.
