ALBANY — Gov. Cuomo yesterday called for toughening assault-weapon bans at both the state and federal levels in the wake of the Newtown massacre.
“There’s no doubt that our [state] assault-weapons ban, our assault-weapons law, has significant flaws and significant loopholes,” he told reporters at the state Capitol. “You basically grandfather in all magazines pre-1994. To me, it’s just a glaring omission.”
But Cuomo said strengthening the federal assault- weapons ban would be more effective since guns can easily be transported across state lines.
“You have to go back to the [federal] assault-weapons ban and make it a real assault-weapons ban, and that would be the first step,” said Cuomo, who also favors requiring microstamping of ammunition.
The state’s ban does not cover the kind of semiautomatic weapon crazed gunman Adam Lanza used in the Newtown massacre that left 20 first-graders and six adults dead.
Cuomo also said the mental-health system and a national “culture of violence” need to be re-examined following the shooting.
“I believe that’s part of it,” he added. “I believe the mental-health system is part of it.”