Gov. Cuomo to Exempt Hollywood from NY’s Gun Control Laws

by S.H. Blannelberry

In Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s New York all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

Following the passage of the Governor’s draconian gun bill, the average New York gun owner is expected to register his/her ‘assault’ weapon with the state government and give up (throw away, sell, etc.) any magazine that holds more than 10 rounds.

However, if one is a movie producer or part of Hollywood’s elite, those rules regarding ‘assault’ weapons and ‘high’-capacity magazines won’t apply. That is, Cuomo is seeking to modify what’s known as the ‘New York SAFE Act’ to exempt individuals connected to the movie business.

“Should you be able to use these types of guns in movies? The answer is yes,” Mr. Cuomo said in a news conference on Wednesday. “We spend a lot of money in the state bringing movie production here, post production here. So obviously we would want to facilitate that.”

Cuomo added that the change to the law is necessary to assuage the fears of production companies that frequently shoot television shows or movies in the Empire State. According to Fox News, Hollywood’s dumped as much as $7 billion in New York since the state started offering tax breaks in 2004.

“People want certainty, and there’s no reason not to make a change like that to give an industry comfort, especially when it’s an industry that we want to be doing business in this state,” he said.

This Hollywood is exemption marks the second time Cuomo has sought to amend his bill. Initially, Cuomo forgot to exempt law enforcement from the magazine and ‘assault’ weapon ban, which really underscored the hasty and careless manner in which the law was passed.

As Republican Assembly leader Brain Kolb said, if Cuomo hadn’t rammed the bill through by waving the three-day review period it probably never would have been approved by the Legislature.

“Had they not rushed this bill through, this bill would never have become law,” Kolb told the Associated Press. “This opposition would have been mobilized … this bill would do nothing to prevent the tragedies.”

Now lawmakers may draft a “clean-up” bill that recognizes Cuomo’s exemptions. However, given the backlash that the bill has garnered from New York gun owners, passing a modified version will be no easy task.

In fact, today, thousands of gun owners and gun rights supporters marched through West Capitol Park in Albany to protest the New York SAFE Act.