The state Legislature passed several measures Friday to revise New York’s gun laws. Now business throughout New York have all summer to decide if they are going to allow customers to bring guns inside.
If they do decide to welcome customers to bring their guns in, then they must put a sign up on their windows.
The measure was passed in a special legislative session that Gov. Kathy Hochul called for after the United States Supreme Court struck down New York’s ban on all concealed guns. The majority of the Supreme Court justices said it violated the Second Amendment.
Some customers said that if they saw a sign on a store window, they would feel uncomfortable shopping there.
Ben Rosenshine, owner of gun shop Blueline Tactical Supply, said it would put businesses large and small in a bad spot.
“To say that a business has to affirmatively say you're allowed to carry a gun there is absurd. To say I don’t want someone carrying a gun into my home or establishment, I think is perfectly reasonable, but what they’re doing is, they're putting the onus on other people to say 'yes, you can carry a gun.' I don’t believe that that is proper,” Rosenshine said.
Others said signs would not impact businesses, but someone carrying a firearm could.
“I know some people who have their own businesses and they can really be hurt badly with people coming into their stores and having a gun and stuff. I worry about that,” said Linda Wile, of Yonkers.
The new gun legislation signed by Hochul won’t go into effect until Sept. 1.