SAFE Act budgets $3M for personnel

[fasteddie]

SAFE Act budgets $3M for personnel

By Jon Campbell

Albany Bureau

ALBANY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s $137.2 billion budget proposal includes an additional $3.2 million for personnel costs related to the SAFE Act, accord­ing to the head of the State Police.

Superintendent Joseph D’Amico told lawmakers at a budget hearing this week that the money will go toward hir­ing civilian employees to help with ad­ministrative duties related to the gun laws, including the processing of as­sault- weapon registrations and main­taining records. Cuomo’s spending proposal is for the 2014-15 fiscal year, which begins April 1. The current year’s state budget included $3.2 million for personal ser­vices, which allowed the State Police to hire 19 people to assist with implement­ing the SAFE Act, D’Amico said.

The 2013-14 budget also included about $27.7 million for information technology costs, including the cre­ation of a statewide database for back­ground checks on ammunition pur­chases that has yet to launch. Responding to a question from state Sen. Thomas O’Ma­ra, R-Big Flats, Che­mung County, D’Amico said the database still isn’t ready for launch. He declined to pro­vide an estimate for when it may be completed, but said his office continues to meet with poten­tial vendors looking to set it up.

“We’ve had a number of vendors come in,” D’Amico said. “We have oth­ers scheduled, looking for an option that is absolutely seamless and instan­taneous at the point of sale. Until such time as we can come up with that, we’re not ready to do it. When we are, we’ll give ample to notice to everyone that we are ready to do it, but it is not ready today.”

During 45 minutes of budget testi­mony Wednesday, D’Amico was ques­tioned several times about the SAFE Act, which was passed in January 2013.

He said State Police are abiding by a U.S. District Court ruling in Buffalo that struck down a provision of the law restricting magazines to no more than seven rounds at any one time.

“As a result of the court decision in the western district, we are currently not enforcing the seven-round provi­sions of the SAFE Act,” said D’Amico.

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[132 eight pointer]

“We’ve had a number of vendors come in,” D’Amico said. “We have oth­ers scheduled, looking for an option that is absolutely seamless and instan­taneous at the point of sale. Until such time as we can come up with that, we’re not ready to do it.

 

Well then it sounds like this will never happen, AWESOME !

[Larry]

If all the 3.2 million go's to just the 19 people they “need” to run the SAFE ACT it comes to $168421.05 per person in pay and benefits. That's a good gig I wonder who you have to know to get that job.  

[Elmo]

When's election time so we can boot this mofo?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Doc]

When's election time so we can boot this mofo? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm still trying to figure out what all is being done right now to make sure that we are staged for the best results in the next election. I was kind of hoping for a flurry of activity from our gun advocacy groups relating to voter registration, and other activities designed to rally our forces and increase gun owner participation in the next election, rather than crossing our fingers, hoping for the best and sitting back and waiting to see what happens. What exactly is our strategy? Anybody know? It seems like something should be happening right now. Seems like a long time doesn't it. I think we will all be surprised just how fast the next 8 months go by. I hope that time is being used wisely. I know Cuomo and his handlers are working on his re-election every hour of every day, around the clock.