By Tom Precious
ALBANY -- The state Senate just passed the gun control legislation by a vote of 43-18.
Two Western New York lawmakers voted for the bill: Democrat Tim Kennedy and Republican Mark Grisanti. Voting against it were GOP senators George Maziarz, Patrick Gallivan, Michael Ranzenhofer and Cathy Young.
The Assembly will take up and pass the bill in the morning.
Most of those speaking on the bill in the Senate were supporters. One, Sen. Ruben Diaz, a Bronx Democrat, said he backed the measure, but said lawmakers were fooling themselves if they believed it would reduce the crime rate. "It is not the rifle. It is the mind,'' he said.
Republican Sen. Greg Ball, a Putnam County Republican, said no one was helped tonight except "a governor who wants to be president.'' He said the bill is does not help mentally ill people who might commit crimes with guns while it harms Second Amendment rights. "We are now turning those law-abiding citizens into criminals,'' he said of the gun control restrictions.
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