PRESS RELEASES
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Paulin’s Gun Control Bills to Prevent Future Binghamton Tragedies Pass Assembly
Assemblywoman Amy Paulin’s bill which requires all gun owners to renew their firearm licenses every five years (A.801) has passed in the Assembly. Had this license renewal requirement been in effect, it may have prevented Jiverly Wong, the man who gunned down 13 people in an immigration center in Binghamton earlier this month, from maintaining a valid pistol permit.
Wong, who obtained his pistol permit in New York in 1997, moved to California in 2001, where he stayed for 7 years. When he returned to New York in 2007, Wong still had a valid handgun license which he could use to purchase a gun, as he did at least once within 40 days of the killings. Under Paulin’s legislation, however, Wong’s permit would have been up for renewal in 2002, when he was living in California. As an out of state resident, Wong would have been unable to renew his license at that time and it would have subsequently been revoked. As a result, Wong would not have been able to purchase any handguns in New York and, furthermore, after his license was revoked, the issuing county would have been required to track down and remove his handguns.
“My legislation will greatly help to prevent tragedies like what happened in Binghamton from happening again,” stated Paulin. “That tragedy serves as a somber illustration of how critically important it is that our state licensing system be thorough, that the records be accurate and up to date, and that handguns be accounted for,” she added. Senator Eric Schneiderman (D-Manhattan/Bronx) is carrying this bill in the Senate.
Paulin’s other bill which has passed the Assembly will require gun shops to keep detailed records and report gun sales to prevent sales to criminals (A.1093).
“If we are serious about stopping the killing of innocent people, we must ensure that guns stay in responsible hands. My legislation will help us to achieve this goal and prevent tragedies in the future,” Paulin concluded.