In a hand-delivered letter to Democratic Lt. Gov. and President of the Senate Cyrus Habib, Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn, outlined a number of concerns he has with the firearms ban in the public galleries recently put in place for the next legislative session, including its legality and enforceability.
“It’s no coincidence this ruling came right after the certification of the election giving the Democrats a majority in the Senate,” Fortunato said in a press release. “This is just the first salvo of what I believe will be many anti-Second Amendment policies. The lieutenant governor’s actions merited an immediate response that challenges this ideologically driven, unnecessary and unconstitutional rule.”
According to the press release from Fortunato, in the letter sent by Habib’s office explaining the ban, it cites a rule that defines the senate’s president’s duties. Fortunato argues the rule does not give the president of the senate the authority to ban firearms.
“As presiding officer of the Senate, the lieutenant governor can do many things to preserve the decorum of the proceedings,” Fortunato said in a press release. “However, violating the public’s constitutional rights is not one of those. People lawfully carrying a concealed weapon is not a disruption and this action is unenforceable for numerous reasons that I’ve pointed out in my letter.”
