'The time to act is now': Gun violence tops agendas in New York following Buffalo massacre

But when the leaders of some of the largest business groups in the state followed suit in calling for such restrictions, even they agreed it was not a typical decision. 

"The time to act is now," Heather Briccetti, president and CEO of the Business Council of New York State, said Monday. "It is a business issue, it is a human issue."

The move from a coalition of business groups that is typically more likely to weigh in on areas such as taxes and regulations came the same day Gov. Kathy Hochul surrounded herself with state and local government leaders to sign 10 bills that enact sweeping new controls in New York State ranging from age limits on purchase of military-style weapons to banning the purchase of body armor for civilians.

The unified message from Democrats in New York stands in comparison to little or no movement on the issue nationally – including a local Republican congressman's decision to abandon his race for re-election as he lost key GOP endorsements following his call for some gun regulations. Hochul said the message is that in New York, at least, measures to address gun violence remain a priority.

"We are constantly reminded of the scale of this across the nation. Shots ring out, flags come down and nothing ever changes," she said during a bill-signing ceremony at a Bronx YMCA that included Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown. "Except here in New York."

The package of bills stem from action during the waning days of the State Legislature's just-concluded session. The new legislation now requires anyone purchasing a weapon like the AR-15 used at the Tops assault to be 21 years old, and not 18 like the alleged white supremacist shooter. The package also calls for identifying some ammunition to be "micro-stamped" with identification, strengthening red flag laws that target potential lawbreaker and requiring social media providers to monitor their content for hate messages.

The new bills also ban the sale of body armor like the equipment used in the May 14 killings for ordinary civilians, and widens directives for sharing data among state and local authorities.

Hochul repeatedly noted that the Senate and Assembly quickly enacted the new laws to address loopholes that became more evident following the massacre at Tops. She contended that no state ever responded with such a "sense of urgency," and urged officials in Washington to embrace the same haste on a federal level.

"It's an investment in prevention," she said. "That's how you beat this at the front end."

The assemblage of officials gathered in the northeast Bronx to witness the new laws' enactment seemed to underscore the political will of the state – at least from the Democrats who control the levers of New York government. Hochul was joined by Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Attorney General Letitia James. State Sens. Timothy M. Kennedy and Sean M. Ryan of Buffalo also stood behind Hochul as she signed the bills.

During the ceremony, Brown noted his city is "still hurting, still grieving, and in pain" over the events of May 14. He also urged more federal action on guns, which continues to face stiff opposition from Republicans.

"I also hope it serves as a message to states all across the nation and to lawmakers in Washington that enough is enough," the mayor said. "The time for real gun reform at the federal level is now.

"This is the day the families of the victims in Buffalo have asked for ... for hearing the voices of the people," he added. "This sets an example for the rest of the nation. We will keep the pressure on in Congress."

That pressure is being applied by business leaders as well, who argue that reasonable gun legislation would have far-reaching effects.

"While gun control may not be a typical lane for chambers of commerce, there is no avoiding the impact gun violence is having on our country and in our communities, and we have an obligation to be part of solving this American problem," said Dottie Gallagher, president and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership.

The partnership was joined by four other business groups in supporting a reinstatement of a federal ban that expired in 2004: the Business Council of New York State; the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce; the Business Council of Westchester; and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.

"This is unprecedented that you would come forward as a group representing a lot of business leaders and taking seriously this issue of gun violence," Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, told the coalition members in a virtual news conference.

The business groups wanted to act while Congress was still in session, and "lend a new voice to this discussion, to get this out of an individual rights conversation and more to a community rights conversation," Gallagher said.

Higgins and Briccetti both alluded to Rep. Chris Jacobs' decision last week to not seek re-election, after he took a stand in favor of an assault weapons ban. Jacobs said he subsequently lost Republican leaders' endorsements, which led to his decision to leave the race.

Briccetti said she and Gallagher felt it was time for the business community to speak up, and brought other groups into the fold.

"At this point, I think (lawmakers) need support so that they don't feel like they have to not run for office in order to take a principled stand on an issue like this," Briccetti said. "I feel it's very important that we point out, this is about the ability for people to be free in the workplace, to be free in their lives to grocery shop and to go to school. And we aren't free if no action is taken."

Gallagher said she expects the assault weapons issue to become a regular part of the Partnership's advocacy agenda if it isn't resolved in the current session of Congress: "This isn't a one-and-done situation."

During the bill signing ceremony in the Bronx, James singled out the Republican Party for taking too far its defense of the Second Amendment.

"The Second Amendment is not absolute," James said. "We cannot wait for another child, another victim, to have their face blown away."

While not as direct in her effort to pressure gun control opponents, Hochul also referred to the reports of mass carnage in the Jefferson Avenue Tops as well as to the Texas elementary school where 19 children and two teachers were gunned down by an 18-year-old armed with an AR-15.

"Heaven help you if you look a those images and not have a change of heart," she said.