Senator Walczyk advocates for more transparency over new state ammunition background check system
ALBANY, NY- We’re closing in on two-months since New York State officially enacted its latest package of gun control legislation, including a new system where each person wishing to purchase ammunition will have to undergo an additional background check, while also paying an additional fee to do so.
Known as the Concealed Carry Improvement Act, the new laws have drawn praise from the Governor’s Office, while also stirring up criticism from some state lawmakers and figures of law enforcement.
Earlier this month, we ran an on-air segment with State Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush and Kim Horender, co-owner at Bare Arms Gun Shop, regarding these new laws and the impacts resulting throughout the North Country.
Since they’ve taken over the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, we also reached out to the State Police for their take on things, to which they could not accept an interview for the time being.
Blankenbush and Horender focused on the hassles gun owners have wrestled with since these new laws officially took effect, including wrongful denials and other delays.
Since then, similar tales continue surfacing from other sources. “To say the roll out of this new system has been a disaster is an understatement,” said the office of New York State Senator Mark Walczyk.
The Senator claims he and his office continues to field numerous complaints from false denials to frustrations with the NICS hotline.
Read his latest statement below:
"On September 13, under direction of Governor Kathy Hochul, New York State Police took over the Federal National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) for gun and ammunition purchases. The Office of Senator Walczyk has been bombarded with complaints from false denials to frustrations with the NICS hotline. To say the roll out of this new system has been a disaster is an understatement.
Senator Walczyk is fighting for transparency in this process. He has attempted to contact the NICS hotline where he was connected with someone who identified as “Operator 302”. This person refused to answer any of his questions regarding the background checks. When asked if he was a uniformed New York State Trooper, he said, “I don’t know.” Further attempts to learn information over the NYSP background check process and to arrange meetings were denied. This prompted the Senator to pen a letter to the Governor calling for transparency.
“'Hundreds of Thousands of law-abiding gun owners in New York have the right to know what is going on behind closed doors in these unconstitutional background checks. I need to know; Who are these ‘employees’ working for the New York State Police and what are their qualifications to handle critical personal information of New Yorkers? In 2021, the Governor said her administration would be a ‘new era of transparency’, providing answers to this mess she created would be a good start .'”
Senator Walczyk has always been, and will always be, a fierce advocate for second amendment rights in the State of New York. Currently, Senator Walczyk introduced legislation to repeal the fees imposed on residents trying to purchase firearms and ammunition. He is also a co-sponsor to Senator Joe Griffo’s bill, S2635, that would repeal the provisions set forth in the Concealed Carry Improvement Act."
Mark Walczyk image.
