Gov. Andrew Cuomo is dismissing calls to arm teachers in schools, calling the proposal raised by President Donald Trump ludicrous and unrealistic.
Instead referring to the SAFE Act, the controversial gun control measure approved five years ago, Cuomo says states should be able to act on their own, like the coalition he's formed with northeast governors.
"I would love to say I think the federal government is really going to get its act together now after Florida. My problem is I know better," said Cuomo, D-New York, on a visit to Marist College in Poughkeepsie. "I was sure something was going to happen after Sandy Hook. The only thing that happened was New York took action.
"We would hope the federal government does something. If they don't do it, at least let the states take action and form a coalition so we can better protect ourselves.
Some Republican lawmakers in New York, and some elected law enforcement officials, have called for providing armed officers in schools to act as a deterrent.