Blakeman Accepts Republican Nomination for Governor, Pledges to End Hochul’s Tax Hikes and Restore Affordability and Public Safety

February 11, 2026

Garden City, NY — Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman today accepted the Republican nomination for Governor of New York, delivering a sweeping indictment of Kathy Hochul’s record and pledging to fix Hochul’s affordability and public safety crisis.

“I am honored to receive this nomination to be your next Governor of the great State of New York,” Blakeman said. “Millions of New Yorkers rejected Kathy Hochul four years ago, and after four more years of soaring taxes, rising crime, and reckless spending, families simply cannot afford her failed leadership any longer.”

Blakeman cited more than $8 billion in tax hikes under Hochul, which has given New York the highest tax burden in the nation. He pointed to electric bills that are approximately 50 percent higher than the national average, as a result of the Hochul Administration’s 36 utility rate hikes, blocked energy infrastructure projects, and costly green energy mandates that have left nearly 70 percent of some utility bills going toward fees, delivery charges, and state-imposed costs.

He also sharply criticized congestion pricing, which charges drivers up to $27 to enter Manhattan. “In Hochul’s New York, you now pay a tax just to drive on a public road you already paid for,” Blakeman said. “And if she gets four more years, congestion pricing won’t stop in Manhattan — it will expand.”

Blakeman emphasized that while middle-class families, seniors, and small businesses struggle with rising costs, Hochul has prioritized billions in spending on hotel rooms, prepaid debit cards, and benefits for illegal migrants. “That is not right,” Blakeman said. “What Kathy Hochul spends on waste, Medicaid fraud, and benefits for illegal migrants who’ve been here for fifteen minutes, I will redirect to better schools, roads, hospitals, infrastructure, and meaningful tax relief for the people who built this state.”

On public safety, Blakeman slammed Hochul for siding with criminals over law-abiding citizens by signing laws that release dangerous inmates, erasing criminal records, weakening parole standards, refusing to repeal cashless bail, and failing to fix the “Raise the Age” law as youth crime rises. “Kathy Hochul has turned her back on the rule of law,” Blakeman said. “As Governor, I will stand with our police, not against them. I will fight to keep violent criminals and cop-killers behind bars, because the safety of our children and neighborhoods demands it.”

Blakeman contrasted Hochul’s record with his own as Nassau County Executive, where he stopped a $150 million tax hike, has not raised taxes, secured seven bond upgrades, and worked with law enforcement to make Nassau County the safest county in America. He hired more than 600 police and corrections officers and invested heavily in public safety. “Imagine bringing that level of fiscal discipline and commitment to safety to the entire state,” Blakeman said.

Blakeman also pledged to cut middle-class income taxes, roll back Albany’s “hidden taxes and mandates” driving up energy costs, defend Second Amendment rights, and protect girls’ sports by ensuring biological males cannot compete against female athletes.

Blakeman emphasized that service is personal to him. The son of two World War II veterans — his mother served in the U.S. Army and his father in the Merchant Marines — Blakeman has long advocated for veterans. As County Executive, he partnered with Tunnel to Towers to expand housing for homeless veterans. “No one who fought for America should ever be without a home,” Blakeman said.

Blakeman also reflected on his time as a Port Authority Commissioner during the September 11th attacks, when his nephew, Court Officer Tommy Jergens, was killed in the line of duty. “I’ve seen what happens when government fails, and I’ve seen what leadership matters,” he said. “Now my grandchildren are growing up here. This is their home. I refuse to accept that New York’s best days are behind us.”

Blakeman recognized his running mates, Joseph Hernandez for State Comptroller, Saritha Komatireddy for Attorney General, and Todd Hood for Lieutenant Governor. He praised Hernandez’s business background and personal story as a Cuban immigrant, Komatireddy’s experience as a federal prosecutor and national security leader, and Hood’s 22-year career in law enforcement and leadership within the New York State Sheriffs’ Association.

“Together, we will bring fiscal responsibility, accountability, and public safety back to New York,” Blakeman said.

Blakeman concluded by pledging to serve as “a governor for all people — regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, abilities, or lifestyle” and vowed to restore opportunity, affordability, and pride in the Empire State.

“We can fix this crisis. We can make New York affordable again. And we can make it safe again,” Blakeman said. “But it will take leadership that puts New Yorkers first. That’s the choice this November.”

All-Call for Records

Can you help me reach Dealers in Firearms?

Paloma A. Capanna, Attorney & Policy Analyst
106-B Professional Park Drive
Beaufort, NC 28516
as well as Keene Valley, ADK, New York

It’s time to begin statewide data collection, and I need help from you and every Dealer in Firearms you know. Perhaps you would forward this e-mail? Perhaps you could print it out and take it to your local gun shop? Your networking help is of need.

#1. I’m putting out the ALL-CALL for every “checklist” of the NYS Police I can get my hands on. Whether it is blank or it is filled-in, will you please ask your local gun shop to e-mail it to me as a PDF with the date the Officer was at the shop? Please ask the dealer to also include a best phone number, if they’re willing to chat with me for a few minutes about it. Please ask the dealer to put the name of the FFL in the re line and e-mail to Paloma@CapannaLaw.com.

If you are unfamiliar with the NYSP “checklists,” several examples are already available on my law office website HERE.

#2. I’m also looking for every “subpoena” of the NY Attorney General demanding records or testimony relating to the new laws under NY General Business Law s.875, or, whatever else she might be demanding from our industry since June 1, 2022. Same request to e-mail.

If you are unfamiliar with the NY Attorney General “subpoenas,” an example is already available on my law office website HERE.

Thank you! - Paloma

FPC Prevails in New York Non-Resident Carry Ban Lawsuit, Encourages People to Apply for a License

The OUTDOOR WIRE Friday, February 13, 2026 

Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) today announced that the parties have reached an agreement to successfully resolve the plaintiffs' federal lawsuit challenging the New York state and county defendants' laws, policies, and practices banning firearm carry by residents of other states, Shaffer v. Quattrone. FPC filed the case in November 2024, arguing that people "do not surrender their Second Amendment protected rights when they travel outside their home state."

Now, as a result of the FPC lawsuit and the plaintiffs' settlement with the State of New York, the State now expressly holds the position that in-state residency or employment is not required for licensure and clearly posted this confirmation on its website, which is now obligated to state (in relevant part):

Is New York residency or employment required to apply for a firearm license?

No. New York law does not require residency or in-state employment to apply for a firearm license. While the Penal Law directs applicants who live or work in New York to file their firearm application in the county of residence or principal place of employment, this provision does not exclude nonresidents from applying. Licensing officers may accept applications from nonresidents, and residency is not among the eligibility criteria for being issued a firearm license. Applications from nonresidents who do not live or work in New York should be evaluated under the same standards as all others.

"This is a great development in our ongoing efforts to restore the right to bear arms throughout the United States," said FPC President Brandon Combs. "New York is the third state in a row, following our wins in California and Louisiana, where we've eliminated carry bans on non-residents and shown that rights don't stop at state borders. Millions of peaceable people will now have the ability and opportunity to exercise their right to carry in these states. We're eager to continue liberating gun owners and restoring freedom, so we're already planning our next wave of cases to that end."

As part of the case's resolution, the Chautauqua County, Steuben County, Tioga County, and Orange County defendants have each agreed to begin accepting firearm applications from people who do not live in New York. And while this should make clear that licensing officers statewide should now be accepting non-resident carry permit applications, FPC has established a special New York Carry Hotline for people to report carry license denials to the FPC Law team so that any denials can be evaluated for potential litigation. Those denied a New York carry license should report it to FPC at firearmspolicy.org/ny-carry-hotline.

"Anyone who wants to carry in New York should go apply, and if they're denied, we hope they'll let us know using our New York Carry Hotline," noted FPC's Combs. "The good outcome here should be the end of this issue, but in a state like New York, there may be some licensing authorities and judges in the process who decide to continue resisting the Constitution and binding Supreme Court precedent. So while we hope they all get the message and start issuing carry licenses without delay, we won't hesitate to drag them into court and force them to if that's what it takes to protect peaceable gun owners and restore liberty."

Filings in Shaffer v. Quattrone can be viewed at firearmspolicy.org/shaffer. FPC is joined in this case by four individual FPC members. The plaintiffs are represented by Nicolas J. Rotsko of Fluet. FPC thanks FPC Action Foundation for its strategic support of this FPC Law case.

About Firearms Policy Coalition: Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) is a nonprofit membership organization that exists to create a world of maximal individual liberty and eliminate unconstitutional gun control laws. FPC works—and wins—for the People through high-impact strategic litigation, groundbreaking research, legislative and regulatory advocacy, grassroots activism, education, and public engagement. FPC's legal division, FPC Law, is the nation's leading initiative dedicated to restoring the right to keep and bear arms across the United States. To learn more about how FPC is working—and winning—for the People, sign up for FPC news alerts at firearmspolicy.org and follow FPC on X, Instagram, and Facebook.

CCRKBA Congratulates New Hampshire House for Adopting Campus Carry Bill

Ammoland Inc. Posted on February 12, 2026 by Alan Gottlieb

The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is applauding lawmakers in the New Hampshire House for approving legislation allowing carry on college campuses by prohibiting colleges and universities from banning guns.

CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb took issue with opponents of the measure who have cited tragic campus shootings, such as the one at Brown University, as a good reason to prevent students or visitors from carrying defensive sidearms for their personal safety.

“Their logic is all wrong,” said Gottlieb. “Those incidents occurred on campuses where gun-free policies exist, leaving students and faculty unable to defend themselves. In an environment where people have not only a right but the means to fight back, it levels the field against evil doers, whether they are criminals or crazy people. We encourage people to support House Bill 1793 and tell their lawmakers to pass the measure.

“Colleges and universities can no longer masquerade as Ivory Tower institutions that are immune from attacks by evil people who belong either behind bars or in an institution,” he observed. “What once may have been considered a manifestation of cultural elitism has—because of Brown University—been shown to be a deadly case of self-delusion.

“We see one opponent of House Bill 1793 offer the argument that half of school mass shootings are done by students and the other half by campus visitors,” Gottlieb added. “What difference does it make who launches an attack? What can make a difference is whether one or more intended victims can immediately fight back and stop some madman in his tracks, thus saving innocent lives in the process.

“We’ve seen the results of an institutional ‘cower-in-fear’ philosophy,” Gottlieb concluded, “and it has been devastating. The time has come for common sense to prevail, and that includes putting an end to policies which essentially create risk-free environments for dangerous individuals to victimize young adults and their teachers solely to perpetuate an indefensible notion that people should leave their right of self-defense at a school’s property line.”

About CCRKBA

With more than 650,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (www.ccrkba.org) is one of the nation’s premier gun rights organizations. As a non-profit organization, the Citizens Committee is dedicated to preserving firearms freedoms through active lobbying of elected officials and facilitating grass-roots organization of gun rights activists in local communities throughout the United States.

GOP challenger Michael Henry drops NY attorney general bid to unseat Letitia James

Story by Vaughn Golden

ALBANY – Republican Michael Henry is dropping his bid to unseat New York Attorney General Letitia James, his campaign confirmed to The Post Thursday evening.

Henry, who carried 45% of the vote when he unsuccessfully ran against James in 2022, did not see a path to victory, a source familiar with his thinking said.

“Over the last six weeks, really since Congresswoman [Elise] Stefanik dropped out, he has been feeling a sense that we were not well-positioned for victory,” the source said.

Henry did not want to be a “sacrificial lamb,” the source said — especially as he faced a likely primary race, despite touting widespread support amongst GOP bigwigs behind the scenes ahead of the party’s nominating convention next month.

“The top of the ticket and the state party is not prepared to fight in November,” the source added.

Henry had been endorsed by Stefanik before she abandoned her gubernatorial bid after failing to secure President Trump’s highly coveted endorsement when Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman entered the race.

His exit from the race leaves former federal prosecutor Saritha Komatireddy and crypto lawyer Khurram Dara seeking the GOP nod.

Henry plans to continue raising money to help vulnerable Republicans in New York’s swing districts, the source said.

New York’s Proposed 3D Printing Law Is Doomed To Fail

Ammoland Inc. Posted on January 20, 2026 by John Crump

New York Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled a package of proposals as part of her State of the State agenda to combat the rise of untraceable “ghost guns,” with a particular focus on those produced via 3D printing.

Dubbed a “first-in-the-nation” initiative, the legislation would require 3D printer manufacturers to equip devices sold in New York with software that can detect and block the production of firearms or their components. Additional measures include criminalizing the unlicensed possession, sale, or distribution of digital blueprints (CAD files) for guns, requiring gun makers to design pistols that are resistant to easy conversion into machine guns (e.g., via “Glock switches”), and mandating that law enforcement report recovered 3D-printed firearms to a statewide database.

Hochul framed the proposals as essential to closing the “plastic pipeline” of illegal weapons, building on New York’s already stringent gun laws. She highlighted a reported 1,000% increase in 3D-printed gun recoveries over recent years and cited cases like the alleged use of a 3D-printed gun in high-profile crimes. Supporters, including Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and State Police Superintendent Steven G. James, praised the measures for addressing an “emerging threat” that undermines progress in reducing gun violence—shootings statewide hit record lows in 2025.

The core of Hochul’s plan is to force 3D printer companies to integrate safeguard technology into their firmware or software. This process could involve algorithms that scan sliced print files for matches against a database of known firearm designs and halt jobs deemed suspicious. Proponents argue that this multilayered detection, potentially at the slicer software, cloud management, or printer level, would deter casual production and make it harder to manufacture unserialized firearms at home.

Yet, despite the ambitious rhetoric, this approach is fundamentally flawed and unlikely to achieve its goals. Technical, practical, legal, and enforcement challenges render it ineffective against determined individuals, while imposing burdens on legitimate users and manufacturers.

First, the proposal applies only to new 3D printers sold in New York after its enactment. Millions of existing printers nationwide, and thousands already in New York homes, workshops, and schools, remain unaffected. Hobbyists, makers, and potential bad actors can continue using older models without restrictions. Even for new printers, compliance depends on manufacturers based outside New York (many of them overseas) agreeing to region-specific firmware, which creates logistical and economic hurdles.

More critically, any built-in blocking software is easily circumvented. Most consumer 3D printers run open-source firmware like Marlin or Klipper, which users routinely modify, flash, or replace. Tech-savvy individuals, precisely those most likely to pursue homemade firearms, can disable or remove detection features in minutes. Offline printing via USB or SD card bypasses cloud-based checks, and altered files (e.g., slightly modified geometries or disguised as innocuous objects) evade signature-based detection. As experts note, this is a classic “whack-a-mole” problem: databases of banned designs quickly become outdated as new variants proliferate.

Historical precedents underscore this futility. Efforts to restrict digital firearm files, such as the 2013 controversy over Defense Distributed’s Liberator pistol, failed spectacularly. Files spread via torrent sites, decentralized platforms, and dark web repositories beyond any single jurisdiction’s reach. Court battles have affirmed that code is speech under the First Amendment, thereby protecting blueprints as expression. Hochul’s criminalization of unlicensed possession of CAD files invites similar constitutional challenges, likely leading to the striking down of broad restrictions on information sharing.

Enforcement poses another insurmountable barrier. Detecting private 3D printing requires invasive monitoring, home raids based on suspicious filament purchases, or monitoring online activity? New York’s law would struggle to police decentralized file sharing globally. Criminals motivated enough to build untraceable weapons won’t be deterred by software hurdles they can hack around, while law-abiding makers face unnecessary restrictions on printing benign objects.

Critics from Second Amendment advocates, including the 3D printing community, argue the plan infringes on rights without addressing the root causes of crime. Most illegal firearms stem from theft, trafficking, or straw purchases, not home printing. Data shows privately manufactured firearms (PMF), while rising, remain a fraction of recovered crime guns. Punishing printer manufacturers and users burdens innovation in a technology used for prototyping, education, medicine, and art.

Moreover, the proposal risks unintended consequences. Forcing detection tech could drive users to unregulated imported printers or DIY builds, undermining safety standards elsewhere. Manufacturers like Prusa, Bambu Labs, or Creality might limit sales in New York or challenge the mandate legally, citing interstate commerce issues.

Hochul’s initiative reflects a broader trend: politicians targeting emerging technology to signal tough-on-crime stances amid a decline in overall violence. New York’s shootings dropped dramatically under existing laws, yet the focus on 3D printing amplifies a niche threat. Similar past attempts, bans on 80% gun kits or file distribution, slowed but never stopped proliferation, as innovation outpaces regulation.

Ultimately, information and technology cannot be fully controlled in a free society. Firearm designs have circulated in books and diagrams for centuries; digital files are no different. Determined actors will always find ways to modify printers, source files anonymously, or use alternative methods like CNC milling. Hochul’s plan may score political points and inconvenience some, but it won’t meaningfully curb the production of 3D-printed guns. True public safety lies in targeted enforcement against criminals, not futile battles against bits and bytes.

Not to be outdone by New York, Washington state has introduced a nearly identical and equally flawed law.

Armed Americans fight back: Inside 2025’s
most gripping self-defense shootings across the US

Church security guard, donut shop owner, homeowners among those who used guns to stop would-be attackers

By Julia Bonavita Fox News
Published December 30, 2025 8:00am EST

FBI, National Safety Council Data: 33 Times More People Die from Falls in a Single Year than in 24 Years of Mass Shootings

BY AWR Hawkins12 Dec 2025

FBI stats show 1,432 people were killed in “active shooter incidents” from 2000-2024, and the National Safety Council reported 47,026 people were killed in falls in 2023 alone.

According to the FBI, there were “556 incidents” in the timeframe of 2000-2024, resulting in 1,432 killed and 2,489 wounded.

The year with the highest number of casualties during the studied timeframe was 2017, with 734 deaths. The second highest year was 2016, with 214 deaths.

But figures from the National Safety Council show a whopping 47,026 people died from falls in 2023. Moreover, the National Safety Council noted “more than 8.8 million people treated in emergency rooms for fall-related injuries in 2023.”

Additionally in 2023, the National Safety Council pointed out “there were 100,304 deaths from preventable poisoning.”

In summary: 1,432 deaths in mass shootings, or “active shooter incidents,” during the timeframe 2000-2024 versus 47,026 deaths from falls in 2023 alone. Over 100,000 deaths occurred in 2023 due to poisoning.

I just took Everytown’s online firearm training course …   by Lee Williams

Everytown’s new firearm training classes are about as honest and realistic as the journalism produced by its paid staffers at the Trace. In fact, the amount of anti-gun propaganda produced by Everytown’s Train Smart instructors may actually exceed the anti-gun propaganda shoveled out by the kids at the Trace. Suffice it to say, it’s a close race.

The fun began with a 1.5-hour video class called “The Smart Guide to Buying a Gun.” Cost was $20. Students can take the class live or on-demand. There are two additional classes, including an 8-hour trip to the range, which you watch from home.

Nellis and Jake were the instructors. None of Everytown’s trainers provide their last names, which is very telling. Most real instructors provide all of their training and experience in addition to their full names.

Nellis, according to her bio, is “a mother and advocate, she is committed to building safer environments and believes that all children deserve a future free from gun violence.”

Jake’s bio is about as bad: “As an instructor, Jake strives to create welcoming spaces where everyone can learn to feel safer and more confident with firearms.”

Neither of the instructors ever mentioned what their kids actually deserve or how they create “welcoming spaces.”

Besides their missing last names, none of Everytown’s training staff list their actual instructor credentials or even where they were trained, but they are all beautiful people and very diverse, which is probably much more important to the folks at Everytown than their CVs.

Before Nellis and Jake were even on screen, Everytown unleashed a massive liability warning.

“By participating in this training and viewing this recording, you acknowledge and agree that Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund and its affiliated organizations are not responsible for any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising from, in connection with, or as a result of your use of firearms, and you agree to release and hold harmless Everytown of Gun Safety Support Fund from any claims related to your participation in the training. If you require specific advice or expertise about your use, possession or ownership of a firearm, please consult a qualified professional or consult your local law enforcement.”

Does this mean Everytown’s firearms instructors aren’t “qualified professionals?” Can’t real firearm training serve as a defense if you ever have to use a firearm to defend yourself or your loved ones?

Instructor Jake began by cautioning viewers that no students should have access to a firearm during the course.

“We’ll be talking about tough topics like firearm homicides and suicides,” he warned the class.

If anyone wanted to learn more about gun ownership than Jake and Nellis were willing to teach, they were told to go to Everytown.org.

The instructor duo then presented an incredibly fictional group of statistics, which the site claimed came from the “Annals of Internal Medicine and American Journal of Public Health.”

By owning a gun, you double your chances of dying by homicide, they falsely claimed. And access to a firearm inside a home triples your chances and everyone in your home’s chances of dying by suicide. These, however, were not the worst claims.

“The presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation makes it five times more likely that the woman will be killed,” Nellis claimed. “And according to the National Network to End Domestic Violence, when a male abuser has access to a firearm, the risk that he’s going to shoot and kill a female increases by 1,000 percent.”

Everytown has always had problems with the truth. Moms Demand Action and Mayors Against Illegal Guns have decried hundreds of school shootings, but when the shootings are actually examined, they consist of a list of incidents that often doesn’t involve actual bad guys or students or schools or guns.

One so-called shooting involved a school bus being hit with a BB. Others involved negligent discharges. Many never even happened during school hours. When the list was examined thoroughly, many of the claims were found to be seriously overinflated.

Nellis, too, had real problems with overinflation, in addition to numbers, tactics and the truth.

“Since 2020, guns have been the leading cause of death for children age 1 to 17,” she falsely claimed.

All weapons, she said, should be kept unloaded—period. Her reasoning was nonsensical.

“That might be a little controversial. It might even defeat the point but hold on. Every second matters when you need a gun. Some people believe it’s okay to keep a gun on a nightstand. If you’re moving so fast that you don’t have time to access your gun, you likely don’t have time to confirm your target before shooting. Once that bullet leaves your gun, it ain’t coming back, and you may actually live in a state that requires you to lock up your gun,” she said.

Jake even brought racist police officers into the training.

“Police interactions may be risky for black gun owners,” he said. “We want to acknowledge that. Gather more information about police in your area.”

The two instructors stressed the false benefits of home security systems—alarms, signs, decals, doorbell cameras, fences, landscaping and other external barriers such as cacti and thorny plants. These are great ideas, until the bad guy enters the victim’s home.

Their solution?

“Adopt a dog,” they said. “A lot of self-defense instructors say dogs are better defense against intruders than guns. Consider getting a dog.”

When the instructor duo described the types of guns available, the forgot to even mention the country’s most popular rifle. The video does not show a single photo of an AR or any other popular semi-automatic rifle.

What Nellis and Jake excelled at was parroting small doses of real gun safety information without giving the author the credit they deserve. They showed a quick video that stressed Col. Jeff Cooper’s Four General Firearm Safety Rules. The good colonel, of course, was never mentioned.

Neither Nellis nor Jake ever mentioned how the Four Rules became standardized or how they progress logically from one to another. Instead, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg’s kids acted like they invented the rules themselves, which is about what you’d expect.

Truth be known, Col. Cooper’s rules were about the only realistic information offered during the entire hour-and-a-half of training time.

This video tried to scare students. Guns are dangerous and should be unloaded, disassembled and locked up, the instructors repeatedly said.

Everytown’s so-called training course is chock-full of fear, which they use to scare folks, so they won’t ever consider buying a firearm, much less carrying one. As you’d expect, this makes it propaganda—anti-gun propaganda.

It is definitely not firearm training. It’s not even close.

Stop lying about guns. Start getting serious about crime in New York | Opinion

Mike Lawler Special to the USA TODAY Network

Regarding "Lawler and Trump reward the gun lobby. NY will pay the price," lohud.com, Aug. 15:

Beth Davidson’s recent column reads like it was ripped straight from the far-left gun control lobby’s playbook, and is filled with the usual scare tactics, deliberate distortions and flat-out lies we see too often in politics. Respectfully, Davidson either doesn’t know what she is talking about or is willfully misleading the people of the Hudson Valley. Either way, I won’t let those lies go unanswered.

Let’s start with her central attack: the legislation I supported to remove the $200 tax on suppressors, short-barreled rifles and shotguns. Davidson calls these “silencers” and claims they make it impossible to hear gunfire. Wrong on both counts. They are suppressors, and just like a car muffler, they reduce sound but do not eliminate it. They protect hearing, make hunting and sport shooting safer and less disruptive and are rarely used in crimes. That’s why many European countries encourage their use, and why even municipalities in New York hire sharpshooters with suppressors to manage deer overpopulation.

And here’s what Davidson left out: suppressors remain tightly regulated under the National Firearms Act. Purchasing one still requires two separate FBI background checks, ATF registration, fingerprinting, photographs and notification to local law enforcement. No law-abiding New Yorker is suddenly walking out of a gun shop with a “silencer” like in a Hollywood movie. The only thing this change did was stop penalizing responsible citizens with a $200 tax. Suggesting otherwise is either ignorance or dishonesty.

Why can't Democrats talk about crime?

But let’s talk about what Davidson and her Democratic allies refuse to talk about: crime.

New York’s problem isn’t a lack of gun control laws. We already have some of the strictest in the nation. The problem is that Democrats refuse to enforce the laws on the books. In 2022, even Mayor Eric Adams admitted that more than 80% of people arrested with a gun in New York City were back on the streets. Many had multiple prior gun arrests. Repeat offenders, often with lengthy rap sheets, cycle through the system and are released under disastrous policies like cashless bail, Raise the Age, and Clean Slate. Just weeks ago, a criminal ignored Times Square’s “gun-free zone” and opened fire, injuring three people.

Democrats like Davidson claim they want to “prevent crime,” but if you are soft on criminals who actually commit crimes with guns, you can’t credibly argue you’re preventing anything. Real prevention means taking dangerous people off the streets, not targeting law-abiding citizens.

Contrast that with my record.

In Albany, I supported harsh measures to crack down on ghost guns, disguised guns that look like toys, and unlawful gun purchases by fugitives. I backed laws expanding Extreme Risk Protection Orders, requiring background checks for semiautomatic rifles, and cracking down on body armor sales. And helped shepherd Alyssa's Law to ensure the use of panic alarms in our public schools. In Congress, I led the bipartisan renewal of the Undetectable Firearms Act, working with Senator Schumer to keep guns undetectable by metal detectors illegal. I introduced a tax credit to promote safe storage and cosponsored background check legislation while making clear that 90% of criminals obtain their firearms illegally—by theft, on the street, or from friends and family—not through gun shows or private sales.

That’s a record of common sense and bipartisanship — the opposite of the cartoon villain Davidson paints.

Meanwhile, Democrats like her push unconstitutional bans that even the Supreme Court has made clear cannot stand after D.C. v. Heller. If an assault weapons ban were constitutional and effective, why didn’t Democrats pass it when they controlled the House, Senate and White House in 2009–2010 and again in 2021–2022? They know it won’t withstand scrutiny, and they know it won’t stop crime. But it makes for a good talking point.

New Yorkers don’t need talking points. They need action.

They need leaders willing to confront the fact that violent criminals — not hunters, not collectors, not veterans, not single women working night shifts concerned for their safety, not moms and dads teaching their kids to safely shoot at the range — are the source of gun violence. They need leaders willing to admit that policies like cashless bail have failed, and that coddling repeat offenders is a recipe for tragedy. They need leaders who understand that protecting constitutional rights and protecting public safety are not mutually exclusive, and who are willing to do the hard work of both.

Davidson wants to run for Congress on a platform of blaming the tool and ignoring the criminal. I’ll run on a record of bipartisan action, common-sense solutions, and standing up to the failed soft-on-crime policies that have made New York less safe. That’s the difference between leadership and empty rhetoric.

Davidson may think repeating lies makes them true. It doesn’t. If she were serious about gun safety, she’d realize a warning label won’t do anything to stop crime, but tougher penalties on criminals will.

Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican, represents New York's 17th congressional district.