Ryan defends voting for new gun law

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Most of the western New York lawmakers in Albany voted against the new gun bill, but Wednesday afternoon one of the Assemblyman who voted for it wants to make a few things clear.

Assemblyman Sean Ryan said, "I'm a hunter, and I'm a gun owner. This is my shotgun and I know my rights are in no way abridged by what we passed yesterday."

Ryan brought his two semi-automatic shotguns to dispel some bad information he's hearing about what the state's new gun law means. He says even if you own an assault rifle that is now considered to be illegal, you can keep it - you just have to register it every five years.

MORE | See all the provisions in the new law, as well as which other local lawmakers voted for it

"If you own a 10-shot clip, you can keep it, you just can't put more than seven rounds in it," Ryan said, adding, "The government is not coming to your house to take away your guns."

But many gun advocates are still angry that Governor Andrew Cuomo managed to rush this bill through by avoiding the normal three-day public discussion before a vote.

Budd Schroeder, President of the NY Shooters Committee on Public Education (SCOPE) commented, "I think it was an atrocity that we send our people there to represent us and all of a sudden they got there and they wanted to rule."

And even if this gun law doesn't take away anyone's guns, Schroeder says, "The people don't know when to stop. When you talk about a slippery slope, they grease them, I mean, just look at the tax laws. The slippery slope, they are never satisfied."

Schroeder is considered an authority on gun rights statewide,and he was at News 4 doing an interview with a country overseas that has taken interest in New York's gun law.