By: Teresa Mull

As the legislative session comes to a close, New York State lawmakers are pushing for even more gun control for their already extremely restrictive state because, well, it looks as though the many regulations they already have on the books are not working.

In fact, they’re doing just the opposite of “working.”

“The push comes amid renewed concerns over shootings in upstate cities and around the country,” reports Spectrum News 1 in reference to a proposed bill to make it easier for people to sue gun manufacturers.

Several mayors have joined forces to “expand the state’s existing public nuisance law by adding gun makers who fail to take proper or reasonable safeguards to have their product fall into the wrong hands,” reports the news network.

This bill, according to its own language is …

An act to amend the general business law, in relation to the dangers to safety and health and creation of a public nuisance caused by the sale, manufacturing, distribution, importing and marketing of firearms

Its proposed purpose is …

To regulate the sale, manufacture, importation and marketing of firearms in relation to creating or maintaining a condition that endangers safety or health through the sale, manufacturing, importing or marketing of firearms within the guidelines of City of New York v Beretta USA Corp., 524 F3d 384 (2d Cir. 2008).

Other bills the New York Democrats are promoting include A07771, that, according to the bill’s summary:

“requires a person to apply for a hunting license prior to the purchase of a shotgun or rifle; establishes additional requirements for all firearms, shotguns and rifles including taking a five hour gun safety course and exam, passing a shooting range test with 90% accuracy, providing notarized proof of a passed drug test and mental health evaluation, providing proof of purchase of firearm and ammunition safe storage depositories and passing a criminal background check.”

Would any of these bills do anything to stop criminals from using guns to carry out violence? Has a single criminal ever been deterred from committing a crime because he or she didn’t possess the proper permit, didn’t take a safety course and exam, or prove to the government he or she was qualified to possess a firearm?

Criminals will always find a way to be evil, and Democrats will continue to push for failed policies that enable them.

Teresa Mull ([email protected]) is editor of Gunpowder Magazine.