(Brooklyn, NY) - Today, Brooklyn attorney and Democratic State Senate candidate Andrew Gounardes asked his opponent, State Senator Marty Golden to pick a side, "What's more important to Marty Golden? His NRA "A" rating or the safety of New Yorkers?" Gounardes said he was stunned by Golden's comments in today's Daily News, "Golden made no mention of the ten common sense bills Senator Gianaris talked about yesterday--many of which he used his position in the Republican leadership to make sure didn't pass."
The passage of all ten bills would make New York the leading state in gun control in the United States based on the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence's criteria.
Gounardes, pointing to the support these bills have from the NYC Patrolemen's Benevolent Association, the Detectives Endowment Association, and NYC Corrections Officers, demanded, "Where is Marty Golden on these bills now? We know he walked out on microstamping. Does he plan to walk out on future gun control votes as well? Does he plan on walking out on his own proposed bill?"
Faced with mounting criticism over his poor record on actual gun safety, Golden is trying to deflect attention from his record and steal some headlines to create the illusion that he is tough on crime. Gounardes asked how Golden's bill would actually keep guns off the streets, "Golden claims he wants to keep guns off the streets but his bill is all about guns already on the streets. The problem is that the NRA and the gun lobby do not care about keeping guns off the streets. Sadly, Golden's bill reflects that mindset."
Gounardes said making New York a model for other states to follow is a goal worth fighting for, "I'm ready to pass common sense bills. I want New York to be number one when it comes to gun control. Unfortunately, my opponent seems more intent on pleasing upstate Republican leadership and the gun lobby."