Following the Supreme Court’s decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, the legislature was called back for an extraordinary session which Buffalo Democratic Senator Tim Kennedy says “made New York state safer and we strengthened human rights” with passage on new gun regulations and passage of an Equality Amendment, which starts the process to enshrine Roe v. Wade into the state constitution.

Kennedy argues that the state “respect(s) the law of the land” and responded to the Bruen decision by making changes that are within the Supreme Court’s decided scope. Kennedy adds that the regulations passed this week are “unquestionably” strong enough to withstand a legal challenge.

Gun rights activists like the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association’s Tom King have criticized the changes as “reprehensible” and argues the governor and legislature are “trying to circumvent the Supreme Court.”

As the time passes since the racially motivated shooting in Buffalo on May 14 that left 10 people dead, Kennedy says the community is continuing to grieve and heal but it won’t be defined by a white supremacist. Zeneta Everhart, the mother of shooting survivor Zaire Goodman, works in Sen. Kennedy’s office and Kennedy says he is inspired by people like Zaire and Zeneta who have stood up and said “enough is enough” and helped advocate for federal gun regulation changes.