New York’s SAFE Act – the ludicrously named restriction on Second Amendment rights signed into law by Andrew Cuomo – effectively makes sure that the Empire State has as few law abiding citizens in possession of weapons as possible. That must come as a great comfort while two notorious killers are on the loose. But might there be hope on the horizon? This week the state senate passed a bill which won’t do away with the odious legislation entirely, but would at least remove some of the more offensive portions.

[James] Seward, (R-Milford) sponsored the proposal, which he called “common sense changes” to the Safe Act:

• Repeal the Safe Act’s requirement to institute background checks on ammunition sales. This portion of the act has not been put into effect.

• Make it easier for gun owners to leave their guns to family members as part of an estate.

• Would provide more protections for individuals’ data on pistol permits while still requiring the state to release aggregate data. Removes opt-out process for keeping information private.

• Would require the state to notify people who are identified as a mental health risk and provide a clearer appeal process for that person.

• Makes the state’s Division of Criminal Justice Services the keeper of pistol permit information (rather than New York State Police).

Well, it’s a start at least. So when can we expect these changes to take effect? In order for that to happen it would first need to be passed in the Assembly. And the odds of that are roughly on par with Nancy Pelosi being sworn in as President in January of 2017. (Emphasis added.)

This bill does not include the proposed change to allow all gun owners to fully load 10 cartridges into 10-round magazines, a separate proposal from Seward.

Even if the amendments pass the Senate, the Democratic leader in the Assembly has said he does not expect a vote in that house.

Even if the Democrat majority leader in the Assembly were somehow replaced by pod people this week and managed to push this bill over the finish line it would still need to be signed by Andrew Cuomo. And why would he? It’s one of his signature pieces of legislation, while simultaneously being the reason that he will never in a million years achieve his dream of being his party’s nominee for the presidency. This was, as the local press is reporting, largely a cosmetic amendment which was offered up to salve the wounds of more conservative, upstate Republican senators. They (and specifically Seward) were passed over for the leadership yet again in favor of a Long Island Republican who voted in favor of the SAFE Act when it originally passed.

Nothing is about to change on this front. The only way that this unconstitutional mess gets cleared up is if New Yorkers stop sending so many Democrats to Albany and to the governor’s mansion. And I’m sure I’ll live to see that happen provided somebody gets that human cloning thing going in the next few years.