Cuomo Plays Games With SAFE Act

From Rich Karlin at Capitol Confidential:

It was initially touted as a key component of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s SAFE Act gun control law, but a statewide ammunition registry, which was supposed to begin in January 2014 has never been triggered and is being laid aside, according to an agreement announced late Friday between the Republican-led Senate majority and the Administration.

...

Shelving of the data base was memorialized through a memorandum signed by GOP Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan and Jim Malatras, Cuomo’s state operations director.

Timing of news about the deal was notable — just before 5 p.m. on a July Friday.

Ah, yes, sending out news of the MOU at 5 PM on a July Friday - must be something Cuomo is quite proud of.

Cuomo Watch had some analysis on twitter last night:

@TomPreciousALB Yes we do. Because the MOU did nothing. It was an illusion to help GOP senators facing primary threats.

— Jake Palmateer (@Tahawus506) July 10, 2015

Cuomo spox @RichAzzopardi: “No provision of the SAFE Act -- including the ban on Internet ammunition sales has been rolled back or altered"

— Nick Reisman (@NickReisman) July 10, 2015

Updated X2: @RichAzzopardi says SAFE Act isn't being rolled back. @billnojay doubts impact http://t.co/fPiXskNFoe

— Nick Reisman (@NickReisman) July 10, 2015

ASTOUNDING: Cuomo & Flanagan-State Senate agree to block parts of SAFE Act that can't be blocked b/c they don't exist http://t.co/hiobPd1Ue9

— Cuomo Watch (@CuomoWatch) July 11, 2015

Radio listener:"Cuomo just agreed not to enforce an unenforceable section of the 'Safe Act' to help the Senate GOP in the 2016 elections.''

— Fredric U. Dicker (@fud31) July 10, 2015

There you have it - an unenforceable part of a paper law rolled back as a political ploy to help some of Cuomo's Republican allies in the state Senate.