The bill making its way through Albany is approved by Republicans and Democrats. It addresses legal and illegal guns. It should make legal gun owners understand the responsibility they have, it should make illegal gun "owners" fear getting caught. It should. But will it?

Vice President Joe Biden met today with U.S. Senators in Washington, one day before he is expected to present President Obama with recommendations on ways to combat gun violence. Lawmakers in Albany may not wait that long. A vote could come tonight on the nation's first gun control measure passed since the massacre in Newtown one month ago today.

The deal in Albany would tighten New York State's ban on assault weapons and limit high-capacity firearm magazines to seven rounds. Other elements include more stringent background checks for sales, and refining a mental health law to make it easier to confine people who are determined to be a threat.

Also today, Mayor Bloomberg joined other mayors from around the country at a "gun summit" in Maryland. Bloomberg said the federal government needs to get tougher on gun trafficking, and that "every state is powerless to stop the mayhem." What do you say?

Do you agree with the elements of the gun control bill that Albany may enact? How would you vote? Will the recommendations presented to President Obama survive the pressure from the gun lobby in Washington? Would you be willing to allow police to search you or your possessions to crack down on illegal guns trafficking?

Send your thoughts using the link above.

The gun law is a good thing but each incident involving guns needs to be treated differently or seperately because there are different factors involved. 1). The bad guy, 2). the racist and number 3). the mentally ill

Bryan

It's amazing how murderous, cold and self serving white collar criminals can be. Blaming video games... i repeat GAMES for violence, and not the guns that are used to murder innocent people.

Alex

To Philip from Jamaica Estates,

First, the laws of weapons control that you denounce as ineffective are working pretty damn well all over the rest of the world, so your comments about weapons control leading to swordwielders and slaves are ill-informed at best. You may have not noticed, but we don't live in Ancient Greece anymore.

Second, the entire rest of the world has just as many violent video games, television shows, and films as we do--in less "liberal, free" societies. You know what they don't have? They don't have easy access to guns and they don't have even a fraction of the gun assaults and deaths that we do.

Third, out of every recorded mass shooting in the United States, 60-something in total, there have been two incidents where a "good guy" with a gun tried to intervene. In one he was immediately killed. In the other he prevented no deaths and ultimately was ineffective. So I'm not sure where you're getting your information about these "good" deeds done by gun owners that the liberal media hasn't reported on for the last 40 years. You seem to clearly disdain the media, so you must admit that they will most likely air or print any story that will grab viewers/readers. Why would they ever not report something heroic done by one of these "good guys?"

In the future maybe just keep your misinformed opinions to yourself.
Jarrod in Brooklyn Heights.

We are all told that when we suspect one of our friends is intoxicated, we take away their keys in order to keep them from drunk driving. Why not ban the guns that are being used in these mass killing before we debate mental illness. Do we debate an intoxicated person before we take away the keys to the car?

Ric from Brooklyn

I feel that VP Biden laid out a "great" gun control plan. It hit all areas that needed to be tightened, but the Republican Congress has already stated that they will not vote for a ban on guns even high powered assault weapons. McCain, leading the bunch said outright he is against a ban on high powered weapons, several other Republican Congressmen have said "we will listen". The majority of the House has almost unanimouslly said that a ban against guns would not pass in the house. It is now time for ever voter to hold their representative accountable, and turn up the heat in order to get them to DO THEIR JOBS.

Theresa
Upper West Side

The Soviet Union used to label political dissidents as crazy and put them in Gulags. Will this bill have the same effect?

Dennis from Brooklyn

Did we elect a Governor or a King? Why should any bill not have public review? Are we all that dumb?

Alan From Midwood

I am disappointed with the deal in Albany. I don't understand why Cuomo dropped the microstamping. To me, that is important. He is obsessing a bit too much on the assault rifles. I do agree no one really needs to own the largest magazine possible. However the microstamping should have been the #1 priority. I wonder if he will ever have another chance at it again.

Penny

As Goes, New York, so Goes the Nation - Amen on Albany bill. Strictest controls possible - and more on video/movie content.

Thank you
Randy

Hi John,

Now what are we talking about? Are we now back to stop and frisk? Why are all of these politicians especially the ones from New York City and State making all of the decisions to change laws and are done behind closed doors and to me it reminds me of the old radio show [CAN YOU TOP THIS] These politicians have been around to long and have done absolutely nothing about this problem accept to blame the legal gun owners for the problems of the rise in shootings and the legal gun owners have already gone through the procedure to purchase their gun licenses.

Meanwhile all of these politicians have had more than ample protection and not one politician came to the defense of the people that had their names along with their addresses published in a newspaper. The stir and fright this has created is that there are people on the list without gun licenses and people that have one. Also many of these citizens are retired law enforcement employees including judges. Threats have already been made to their entire families just to get even. These politicians can't even do their own jobs that we elected them to much less even try to take care of other huge problems.

The politicians need to worry about the illegal guns out there.
[REMEMBER SANDY EVERYONE]

Thank you John,
maxxiee
mp

John,

We are becoming more powerless to stop the goons and their fascist state that seeks to disarm us and command us to live their way or else. All of this gun regulation discussion contains a logical fallacy, the argument from emotion. The legislation will be totally ineffective, as in the past. But the politicians' guilty conscience and fear of not getting re-elected will be assuaged. If there are more mass killings, the handwringing will continue and the politicians will propose more, stricter legislation. Poor things, that's all they know to do.

Joe
Port Richmond, SI