In response to Assembly Bill 1413, which outlaws firearms as prizes in games of chance, Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) has vocally opposed this legislation as another example of Downstate government overreach.

Firearm raffles are an important source of funding for community activities and many local organizations, specifically fire departments, use the funds generated by these raffles to support the department and purchase equipment used to protect the community.

The legislation is authored by Jo Anne Simon, a Democrat from Brooklyn and sponsored by over a dozen New York City Democrats.  

“The widening disconnect between Downstate politicians and Upstate matters is alarming,” Hawley said. “It is the not the place of legislators in New York City to determine laws that significantly affect upstate affairs.

"Law-abiding gun owners have been subjected to increased regulations and harmful laws that blatantly violate their Second Amendment rights, and banning firearms as raffle prizes is yet another example.”

The standards of gun ownership do not change whether it’s purchased from a licensed dealer or won in a raffle. In order to claim possession, one must still pass the background checks and have the necessary permits. 

“Gun ownership is a proud and storied tradition in Western New York,” Hawley said. “It is not the business of city legislators to infringe on your constitutional rights and ultimately hurt our local charitable organizations.”