Sudden Change To New York Gun Law Surprises Some In State Senate

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A late night gun bill stirred controversy on the floor of the New York State Senate.

The measure which passed 49 to 14 Thursday night exempts retired members of law enforcement from the 10-bullet cap on the number of rounds in ammo clips in place in the law signed earlier this year by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

But it was the unexpected late night arrival of this measure weeks after it passed in the Assembly that stirred anger on the Senate floor from lawmakers looking for an overhaul or a repeal of New York SAFE Act.

"The only leverage we've had was to work with the law enforcement community to then also get private security in there, critically important to homeland security, and to get a home exemption for law abiding citizens in this state to be able to protect their families," said Republican St. Sen. Greg Ball.

Ball decried the politics of the late night move, saying it was a move to limit public debate.

"Congratulations to the governor to dividing this conference, and you're gonna have this conference ripped apart. There should be a lot of smiles over there. There's a better way to handle this," he said.

St. Sen. Martin Golden, also a Republican and a retired cop, said the measure gives comfort to those who might encounter people they once arrested out on the street.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories