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(WBEN) By the time Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivers his State of The State message this afternoon, expect either a deal on gun control or a massive push for one in the speech.
Cuomo staffers have been working with legislative leaders to come to an agreement on a range of gun control items that would give New York one of the toughest gun control laws in the nation.
The governor's effort includes:
-An expanded ban on semi automatic "assault " weapons
-A reduction in the number of bullets in a magazine - from the current 10, down to 7.
-Removal of a grandfathered loophole that allows the sale of even larger magazines made before 1994.
The Senate Republicans- generally opposed to most of the tougher regulations- have offered mandatory tougher sentences for gun crimes as an alternative. At the very least that will be included in the package, according to several Albany media reports.
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Tuesday night, a Cuomo spokesman said the sides still had no agreement, but sources said there was talk of keeping the legislature in session to get one.
"It is something he wants for a multitude of reasons... Not only would New York have the toughest gun laws in the nation, but he would beat Congress in doing something, and for a man that has possible 2016 (presidential) aspirations, that would be a good feather in the cap," -- Ken Lovett, Albany bureau chief, New York Daily News.
The measures would be a response to gun violence in the U.S., including the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in which 26 children and adults were killed.
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Meanwhile in Washington.. Biden's Gun Group Meets
Cuomo's move coincides with Vice President Joe Biden's meeting at the White House with victims groups and gun-safety organizations as part of a series of gatherings to try and at build consensus around proposals to curb gun violence.
The vice president meets Thursday with the National Rifle Association. Meetings with representatives from the video-game and entertainment industries are also planned.
President Barack Obama wants Biden to report back to him with policy proposals by the end of the month. Obama has vowed to move swiftly on the recommendations, a package expected to include both legislative proposals and executive action.
The Biden and Cuomo actions come as New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Mayors Against Gun Violence released a new commercial to push for federal action.It features Roxanna Green, the mother of Christina Taylor-Green, who was killed two years ago Tuesday in the Tucson, Ariz., massacre in which former Rep. Gabby Giffords was wounded.
"How many more children must die before Washington does something to end our gun violence problem?" Roxanna Green asks in the ad.
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| The National Rifle Association has enjoyed high-profile success over the years in shaping gun-rights legislation in Congress and statehouses, in part by campaigning to defeat lawmakers who defied the group. | |