Developing.

Two new laws.
Previously, you can have 19 illegal guns and get probation.

NOW 3 illegal guns is a D Felony. Mandatory time.

And, since the speech wasn't about the transit strike, the news left the press conference. So I don't know what else he was going to say.

www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--specialsession1221dec21,0,1185583.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork

Albany agrees to toughen gun trafficking, `cop killer' laws
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By MARK JOHNSON
Associated Press Writer

December 21, 2005, 5:18 PM EST

ALBANY -- State lawmakers and Gov. Pataki agreed on two bills Wednesday that would strengthen gun control laws and increase penalties for violence against police officers.

In the end, Pataki dropped his proposal to include death as a possible punishment for killing a police officer, and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver dropped provisions that would have addressed legal gun retail sales.

The Legislature was expected to act later Wednesday.

Pataki, a Republican, last week called for the special legislative session after two New York City police officers, Dillon Stewart and Daniel Enchautegui, died in separate shootings since Thanksgiving.

"Too many times we've seen those who put on the uniform lose their lives protecting our freedom. We owe it to them, we owe it to their families and we owe it to the state of New York to do everything we can to protect them," Pataki said.

The bills will significantly increase the penalties for illegal gun trafficking and make it easier to convict those who sell illegal guns of felony crimes carrying sentences of up to 25 years.

The Crimes Against Police Act increases penalties for those who injure or kill police officers. Pataki and fellow Republicans sought to include capital punishment as an option for killers of police but dropped that provision to win the bill's approval in the Democrat-led Assembly. Otherwise the measures were little changed from those first pushed by the governor.

"We feel we should have the death penalty," Republican Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno said. "It was in our bill, it was in the governor's bill, but we couldn't get it through the Assembly ... We are getting a result, and life without parole is a lot better than where we are now in terms of punishment."

Current law allows for a sentence of life, with a minimum of 20 to 25 years in prison.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver last week said he supported the bills favored by Pataki, but also wanted to include "more comprehensive" measures, including more stringent requirements on gun dealers.

Those proposals were dropped from consideration Wednesday amid opposition by the governor and Senate.

Silver said he would continue to push for such laws and to outlaw armor-piercing bullets.

"How can we continue to send law-enforcement officers into the path of danger armed with bulletproof vests while continuing to allow deadly 'cop-killer' bullets on the streets?" Silver said in a statement.

State Sen. Ruben Diaz, whose daughter is a New York City police officer, said the police protection bill ignored the vast majority of killings in the state. He voted against it.

"I have to ask myself if the life of a police officer is worth more than the life of a bodega owner, a taxi driver, a senior citizen or any other New Yorker," the Bronx Democrat said. "I believe that if we are going to send a message to criminals and we want to stop crime in New York once and for all, we have to toughen penalties for the killing of anyone."

Video:

www.capitalnews9.com/shared/video/video_pop.asp?destlist=75012