The Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen Decision held that the 2nd Amendment protects the right of U.S. citizens to carry handguns in public for self defense.

It held that handgun permit requirements of “proper cause” and “may issue” were unconstitutional.

New York State dropped those rules, changing the law to read “shall issue” but adding a series of rules making it more difficult for the average honest citizen to own a gun. Nothing in that law stops criminals from getting one.

State reps Tenney and Stefanik have called for the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate NYS infringement of 2nd Amendment rights. Gov. Hochul had a bad case of the vapors over their requests. See the Finger Lakes Times of May 19 (“Hochul rips Tenney, Stefanik for gun stances”).

If, as she says, New York State is so wonderful and safe, why would she object to an investigation that might prove it?

NY regressive politicians and others have long held anti-2nd Amendment bias.

Attorney General James: “NRA is a terrorist organization” … “I am seeking dissolution by civil action.”

Gov. Cuomo: “Banks, insurance companies and anyone doing business with the NRA should consider if such ties harm their reputations and public safety.”

He also said,“Conservatives have no place in NYS.”

A number of companies gave in to his threats including some large law firms that will not take on pro-2nd Amendment cases.

The NRA sued Cuomo over his directive. Much to anyone’s surprise the ACLU represented the NRA.

They won the case.

Originally the gun permit law was called the Sullivan Act, named after its sponsor “Big Tim” Sullivan, a powerful and corrupt NYC Tammany Hall Democrat. It took effect in May 1911.

Allegedly the reason for the law was because of the ongoing violence between Irish and Italian gangs. Some claimed it was so the Irish gangs could legally be armed and Italians and others could not. Could be some truth to it since the first person convicted was an Italian immigrant. At sentencing the judge declared, “It is unfortunate that this is the custom with you and your kind, and that fact, combined with your irascible nature furnishes much of the criminal business in this country.”

Whatever the reason, we wound up with double gun licensing systems designed to make it difficult for an honest NYS citizen to get a gun permit.

In 1913 Big Tim, while in end-stage syphilis, either jumped or was pushed in front of a train.

Makes one wonder if the authors of the law then and now have similar mental problems.

See if anyone can make sense of what Democrat regressives call “common-sense” gun laws.

There are two gun permit systems in NYS — one for NYC, including its five counties, and one for the other 57 counties.

A permit in those 57 is form PPB-3. Each county sets its own fees and licensing official. If you move to a different county you must notify that official who can charge a fee.

They also can change the permit type. Could reduce it from concealed carry to a more restricted type.

Permit PPB-3 in the 57 counties is not valid in NYC unless you get its “special permit”/concealed carry. NYC has nine different permit types while the 57 have three.

Cost for permits in upstate’s 57 are all over the place while NYC is mostly fixed. Application, $340. Fingerprint, $88.25 + photo. Rifle/shotgun, $140.

No license required for rifle/shotgun upstate.

Add in a Notary Public fee for the four character witnesses.

PPB-3 permit needs to be rectified every three or five years.

In NYC, the gun permit expires in three years so you have to start over and pay the same fees.

Gun permits in NYC are handled by the NYPD Licensing Division. The best way to get a gun permit in NYC is to be rich and well connected. Either that or bribery.

A few years ago three police officers of the Division and a lawyer went to jail after accepting bribes fast-tracking permits for the favored few. It went on for many years.

To be fair, it may not be going on any longer.

But with lunatics still running the New York State asylum who knows?

Richard Blakesley is a frequent contributor to the Times’ Opinion Page. He went to Gorham High School and then RIT. He was a machinist, a draftsman, and an engineer for a number of companies, including Wright Hibbard in Phelps, Gleason Works in Rochester, and Vesta Works Inc., a Canadian/Polish engineering firm. He enjoys genealogy and car shows. He is married, lives in Bloomfield, and has four children, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.