Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell (D-Theresa) says she will introduce new legislation in the Assembly to address the tragic circumstances of Cape Vincent EMT Mark Davis' death.

Davis was shot and killed as he responded to an emergency call in 2009.

State Sen. Patty Ritchie had introduced a bill in the Senate, “Mark’s Law,” to add killing first responders to the list of homicides that are prosecuted as first-degree murders, and Russell sponsored the bill in the Assembly last year. But while it passed in the Senate, it did not succeed in the Assembly.

Russell has dropped her support for Mark’s Law and introduced a bill of her own.

Russell’s new legislation will include elevating the murder of first responders to murder in the first degree.

It will also toughen penalties for individuals that allow guns to fall into the hands of perpetrators of these murders and, on the other hand, would also limit the public disclosure of pistol permit holder information.

"I feel this new legislation will provide justice for crimes such as the one that resulted in Mark's death," she said.

"The bill provides for increased responsibility for those that make guns available to the kinds of killer involved in Mark's death as well as the shootings in Connecticut and Webster, NY," Russell said in a statement to the press.

"The bill also address concerns of recent disclosure of gun owner information on the internet," she stated.

Russell said she would discuss her proposal in more detail on Friday.

Russell represents the 116th Assembly District, which includes all the St. lawrence County towns along the St. Lawrence River, plus the City of Ogdnsburg, and the additional townships of Canton, Potsdam, Rossie, Macomd and DePeyster, as well as northern Jefferson County.