A shocking revelation was made at a recent joint state legislative budget hearing on public safety as Margaret Miller, head of the Office of Information Technology Services (ITS), testified that her office was working on three proposals for the ammunitions database that was initially outlined in the governor’s misguided SAFE Act. 

This was a shock, as a formalized and very public agreement was made between the governor and Senate through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed last year stating that the efforts to develop an ammunition database in the Empire State would be suspended. 

An ammunitions database, as the governor intended, would require sporting-goods retailers to do background checks on individuals purchasing ammunition and report the quantity of ammunition that an individual buys. At its core, the system would unfairly have the government target and profile those who have committed no crimes. It’s not unusual for those who engage in shooting sports and those practicing at gun ranges to go through many bullets. We, as shooting enthusiasts, understand this fact. The implications and even the practical details of how this database would operate left way too many unanswered questions. This idea does not sit well with many people across the state. 

Governor Cuomo’s ill-advised, reactionary gun-grab law was not only an assault on our constitutional freedoms, but if implemented, it would cost taxpayers millions of dollars. In the 2013-14 budget, the governor pushed through a $27 million allocation for the implementation of his SAFE Act, especially building the pistol-permit database and the ammunitions database. I have voted against all funding for the SAFE Act. 

We have no formal estimates about how much the ammunitions database would cost taxpayers. Considering the depth and scope of what the governor wanted it to accomplish, and taking into account the limitations of broadband technology throughout the state, it’s just not a feasible system, and the costs would be staggering. To build, maintain and make the database, accessible 24-7, could easily cost well above the $27 million needed for the technology and manpower a database like this would require. The MOU explicitly recognized these challenges and cited them as reasons to abandon its development.

So when the head of ITS, who is subject to the governor’s direction, testified that three proposals were developed for the database, it was a total slap in the face to the people of this state. It is not known how many hours and dollars were wasted developing these proposals. 

When the governor and his agencies take actions like this, his word to the people is essentially useless and without value. This is a governor who speaks out of both sides of his mouth, and his actions are out of step with the values of the people he is supposed to serve. Signing the MOU and working on the ammunitions database anyway, and then to tell anti-Second Amendment special interest groups that the database is being worked on, shows that the governor never had any intention of keeping his word on the MOU.

It is evident that we in the New York Legislature need to continue to push for a full repeal of the governor’s law. I proudly sponsor several of these efforts. I will continue to vote against any funding the governor or anti-gun special interests might try to push through during budget negotiations. 

Marc W. Butler (R,C,I–Newport) is a New York State Assemblyman for the 118th District, which encompasses parts of Oneida, Herkimer, and St. Lawrence counties, as well as all of Hamilton and Fulton counties. Contact him at butlerm@assembly.state.ny.us