It’s probably not as easy as you think by regular means (i.e. purchasing vs outright stealing), but the barrier to entry for legal ownership is decidedly lower than that of other developed nations.
I would wager though that the provisions in this bill will have significantly less effect than say, a law that penalizes gun owners for unsecured firearms that are either acquired by or used in the commission of a crime.
The only purpose of including this in the budget is for the legislators and sponsors of this line item can say they did something without actually having to do anything.
The problem with Hochul’s (among others) arguments is that they are legally ambiguous and technically unsound. We need to ensure we are systematically dismantling their talking points as loudly as possible and in the simplest terms. Take a look at some of these gems:
Not gay myself, but I imagine in my case this would be the best possible outcome. I’m picturing in my head as though his response would have been the same if you’d said, “Hey dad, I’m straight and living with a woman.” I think my dad would be amazed that anyone could stand spending that much time with me 😂