The 45th state Senate district is one of the largest geographically and extends across much of the northeastern section of New York. The area is currently represented by Republican Dan Stec, who is in his first term after serving eight years in the state Assembly. He has been joining with other GOP legislators to focus on law and order issues this election year.
During a stop in Plattsburgh this week, Stec talked about his opposition to new gun restrictions passed during a recent special session by the Democratically-controlled legislature, claiming in an interview with WAMC’s North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley the new law makes gun owners in his Adirondack Park district felons — which Governor Kathy Hochul’s administration says is not the case.
The way that the law was written, and again this is a classic example where it was a knee jerk reaction to a Supreme Court decision on New York's concealed carry laws. The left that's running the state right now was furious. And so this was a legislative temper tantrum. And so what they did was, in the name of addressing what the Supreme Court told them they needed to with their law, they added to it an awful lot including sensitive areas. And sensitive areas they listed everything under the sun including parks, and it would make it a felony to possess any firearm including rifles and shotguns. The handgun law was what was in front of the Supreme Court and Albany's reaction to fixing what the Supreme Court told them was wrong with their handgun law, they said well you know what we're also going to add some more to rifles and shotguns. But it says that it would be a Class-C felony to possess one of those firearms in a sensitive area. And then in the definition of a sensitive area is parks. Now I know that a low level staff member from the Hochul administration has says that's not what we meant. I haven't heard it from Governor Hochul herself yet. I haven't heard from this Superintendent of State, of the State Police yet. I haven't heard from the Commissioner of DEC yet. Just a low level staff member says oh that's not what we mean here. But in both the Senate and the Assembly the sponsors were asked what does this mean in the Adirondack Park and after consultation with their staff they said yes this applies to the Adirondacks. So I don't care what a low level staff member from Hochul's administration says. The Senator that defended this bill and the Assemblymember that defended the bill both said yes it was their intent that this applies to the Adirondacks. Now, it's not just a Republican issue. There are Democrats that voted against this bill and on public record they cited this as a concern. And we're not grasping at straws. It's a legitimate issue. And I don't want to see thousands of gun owners in the Adirondacks be potentially guilty of committing a felony because they set foot on Forest Preserve carrying a weapon. And as we all know there's a lot of back country there and when people hike in the back country a lot of them want to carry.
Dan Stec, the response came because of the U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding New York's gun laws, its concealed carry gun laws. What did you think of the Supreme Court decision and did you think New York needed to respond to it?
The state had to respond to it. When New York is one of the handful of states that was requiring people applying for concealed carry to prove that they needed to do this. Now I'll point out because I know a lot of your listeners here are just across the lake in Vermont. There are no gun laws in Vermont. If you want to go buy a pistol today and carry it in Vermont you can. So New York's law went way too far. Frankly, a lot of people think that the new law is more restrictive than it was before and I predict that the Supreme Court will eventually throw it out.
Vermont does have a few gun regulations. They restrict things like you know, the thing that allows...
...magazine?
...magazine type things and stuff. So they do have some regulations. Dan Stec, what fixes would you have liked to have seen? I mean, you've been criticizing what they did, but what do you feel would have been a more reasonable fix?
They should have gone over and they should have curtailed what is a sensitive area for starters. On the front of the Adirondack Park definition issue in the sensitive area we've had conversations with staff at DEC and on the second floor, and they've all assured us that they are working on something that's going to clarify. And it won't be law. It will be regulation. But again, I'd feel better if it was coming from the Superintendent of the State Police and the Commissioner of DEC, and frankly the Governor then I would, you know, a press guy on the second floor. But we've also been told that their attorneys realize that there's issues with this law that they're going to be making amendments and I imagine in early 2023 the legislature will be asked to make amendments and I'm sure among them will be clarifying the definition of park.
Dan Stec, our conversation this morning has been dominated by the guns and law and order. But you are running for reelection. So what other issues are you out there planning to highlight as you campaign?
We spend far too much. We are competitively behind the eight ball when it comes to economic development. We've had 300,000 people flee the state in the last several years because they're looking for better opportunities. We need to work on infrastructure. We need to work on right sizing of the regulatory environment that we have in the state of New York. We need to make sure that we're competitive so that we can keep people here so that they're not fleeing for better job opportunities. A lot of that just comes from tightening you know our budget. We are spending too much. We waste too much. We spend more on Medicaid than Texas and Florida combined. You know these are the issues that are the kitchen table issues where people can't afford to live here. The jobs are leaving because we're not competitive. It's easier to make money in another state and so businesses aren't relocating here. There needs to be a realization of that. So I mean, in addition to the, you know, the obvious crime problem that we have in growing in the state of New York. I mean right here in Clinton County in the last year there's been three murders and I think it's been several years before that. So you can't just say well it's just an urban issue or a New York City issue. I talked to sheriff's and state police all over in my district and they're all complaining that they're seeing a change in people's behavior and crime is on the uptick. So, um, but, you know, it's always at the end of the day, it's about making us more competitive. You know, certainly we want to make sure that our infrastructure, and that includes our education systems, are what they need to be to be competitive with the Vermont's and the Massachusetts and the Connecticut's and the New Jersey's and the Pennsylvania’s of the world, let alone China and India and everyone else. You know we're living in a dream world where we're spending money that we don't have, and we're not competitive, so we need to rein that in.
We've chatted in the past. You're supporting Mr. Zeldin for governor. Do you believe Governor Hochul is vulnerable?
Oh, absolutely. I absolutely do. You know, again, I think you point to the rising crime. And you know there's a lot of people that aren't happy with the $600 million for Buffalo Bills stadium unless you live in Erie County where she's from. You know the pay to play culture. There's a lot of suspicion over her contract for testing supplies. Her opponent on the campaign trail Lee Zeldin was assaulted and his assailant released under the bail reform laws. I mean so if you want a test case right there: gubernatorial candidate assaulted in broad daylight and in front of dozens of witnesses and all caught on tape and the guy's out before he's practically done giving his speech. People are not happy with the state of New York right now and usually it starts at the top.
Dan Stec, prediction or wishful thinking: will you be in the minority or majority in the Senate?
I'm going to be in the majority next year.
Prediction or wishful thinking?
Prediction.
New York state Senator Dan Stec is running for a second term. He is being challenged by Democrat Jean Lapper of Queensbury.
