Hochul signs new gun safety bill into law in response to Supreme Court ruling

Albany, NY (WRGB) — Governor Kathy Hochul has officially signed a new gun safety bill into law in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling overturning the state’s century-old concealed carry law.

Her signature coming soon after the state legislature passed the bill in a special session Friday night.

While many democratic lawmakers support the law, some majority members along with republican lawmakers had their reservations.

The newly passed law bans people from carrying any firearms into what they're calling "sensitive places"- these include schools, parks, libraries, government buildings, and mass transit.

MORE:State lawmakers back in Albany for a special session called by Governor Hochul

The law also bans New Yorkers from carrying firearms into businesses unless the owners put up a sign explicitly saying guns are welcomed.

The new legislation also lays out a strict licensing process for concealed carry permits and requires background checks for ammunition sales.

One of the more major changes is more uniformity. Some counties right now as part of getting a concealed carry permit, they require training. Now we will make that more uniformed,” said Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy (D-Albany).

“We want to make sure that where concealed carry are allowed we are extremely careful in making sure the public is still protected,” she added.

The state Senate passed the bill 43 to 20 in a party line vote while the Assembly passed the legislation 91 to 51 with some members of the majority voting no, including Democratic Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner (D-Roundlake).

I'm really concerned about the breadth of the sensitive area definitions and restrictive area and I believe they will be subject to some scrutiny,” Woerner said. “In addition, I'm concerned that a lack of what I'm calling “context specific “ meaning of places. So, the Adirondack Park which has millions of acres of wilderness as well as residential communities is in total defined as a park but it’s not the same kind of park like Central Park.”

“While there were some positive attributes to it, I just felt it created more problems than it solved and so that's why I voted no,” she added.

MORE:Lawmakers in Albany working out details on bills in extraordinary session

Republican lawmakers expressed opposition to the law, calling it another violation of people’s second amendment rights.

"Albany politicians are preventing law-abiding New Yorkers, who have undergone permit classes, background checks, and a licensing process from exercising their constitutional right to bear arms,” said Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt in a statement.

Republican Assemblyman Chris Tague responded to the law in a statement saying, "As well-intended as some of these proposals may be, it doesn’t take a lawyer from Harvard to be able to see that this bill won’t survive an ounce of legal scrutiny." UnderUnder this new law, people who carry a gun in a prohibited location— such as schools, parks, hospitals, etc.— could be charged with a felony .