Assemblyman Marc Butler, R-Newport, voted no on a bill (A.53) that he said would create excessive and intrusive gun storage laws.

Butler, whose 118th Assembly District includes St. Lawrence County towns from Norfolk and Madrid south to Colton, Clifton and Fine, said the bill not only violates Second Amendment rights, but would significantly impair a person’s ability to defend oneself.

According to press release from Butler’s office, the legislation would create excessive gun storage requirements that could actually impair an owner’s ability to use their weapons for self defense in their own home. Should a gun be stolen, it could be argued it was “improperly stored” according to requirements outlined in the bill. Under this legislation, the owner of the firearm, who is also the theft victim, could be arrested, Butler believes.

“This is the worst kind of legislation,” he said in a prepared statement. “This bill infringes on our Second Amendment rights, makes it difficult for someone to protect themselves in their own home, and could cause the victim of a gun theft to be arrested. This bill is overreaching and should never become law.”

“As with passage of the SAFE Act, some Democrats have a knack for making law-abiding gun owners into criminals. These ridiculous bills do nothing to keep people safe from real criminals,” Butler said.