SCOPE, inc. Volume XXVI, Issue IV Firing Lines July/Aug 2017 Fighting for your Second Amendment Rights since 1965 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: A time to assess SCOPE Chapter and BoD Information 2 By Tim Andrews of the Republican members are clearly anti- ————————————————————————— Newsletter Deadlines 2 SCOPE President gun. Using the NRA’s most recent ratings ————————————————————————— SCOPE P.A.C. 3 two of the Republicans have “D” ratings and ————————————————————————— Unless our Governor calls them in the third has a “?” rating. My question for the Only you 4 ————————————————————————— for a special session, the 2017 legislative Senate Republican leadership is, how do Electrical dependence 6 session, has adjourned for the year. The good three anti-gun Senators end up on any com- ————————————————————————— Hearing in Warsaw 7 news is we’ve suffered no additional damage mittee that deals with gun issues? ————————————————————————— Gun rights 8 to our Second Amendment rights. The bad In a June 25, 2017 story in the ————————————————————————— Marksmanship challenge 9 news is we’ve made no gains either, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, regard- ————————————————————————— SAFE Act remains intact. ing the appointment of Judge Paul Feinman SCOPE member clubs 10 ————————————————————————— It’s time to assess where we are now to the state court of appeals, Governor Another year 12 and what we need to do in the future. First Cuomo was full of praise for Senate Republi- ————————————————————————— Business Members 14 my assessment of where we are now. I’m not cans. The Governor said, “I appreciate the ————————————————————————— Your Representatives 16 going to sugarcoat it, it’s not good. There Senate going through the confirmation proc- ————————————————————————— Erie County meetings 19 was a lot of wheeling and dealing going on at ess as quickly as they did.” That wasn’t ————————–————————————————- the end of legislative session. A lot of people enough, Republicans were also instrumental NYS and the militia 20 ————————————————————————— were getting their pet projects passed, but in helping Cuomo get the Tappan Zee bridge Vets and the SAFE Act 22 law-abiding gun owners were left out in the named after his father, former governor ————————————————————————— SCOPE banquet 23 cold. Legislators showed more interest in Mario Cuomo. Wouldn’t it have been nice if ————————————————————————— naming bridges and parks after themselves the Republicans had used one or both of than protecting the constitutional rights of these senate actions as leverage to get some Join SCOPE their citizens. concessions on the (un)SAFE Act? Today! The New York State Senate poten- I’m a little tired and frustrated with tially provides us our greatest chance to initi- politicians and a party that routinely says SCOPEny.org ate positive changes to our gun laws, how- they’re pro-gun but never delivers. You’ve ever, not the way it is currently structured. heard the saying, “talk is cheap.” We’re not “Nobody made a One example, this past session there ready to divorce the GOP but this is an issue was a bill in the Senate Environmental Con- we feel Republicans need to consider in the greater mistake than servation Committee to lift the ban on the coming months. he who did nothing sale and possession of firearm suppressors. One of the most egregious victims because he could do The Environmental Conservation Committee of the (un)SAFE Act is Simeon Mokhiber of only a little.“ is chaired by Republican Senator Thomas Niagara Falls, New York. Simeon is a nine- O’Mara and has an 8-5 Republican majority. year combat veteran of the U.S. Army who So, you say, slam dunk, right? Hold on, not served his country in both Iraq and Afghani- Edmund Burke quite. Senator O’Mara pulled back the bill stan. Simeon was involved in a traffic stop from consideration, telling us he did not have in 2016 and was charged with DUI, he was the votes to pass it out of committee. You not drinking and was ultimately acquitted of heard that right, an 8-5 Republican majority that charge. However, the charge resulted in A well Regulated and he can’t get the bill through his commit- a search of his vehicle where the officers Militia, being neces- tee. found a locked box. Inside that box were sary to the security The ugly dog in the room is, if we three seventeen round Glock magazines, a of a free state, the cannot pass pro-gun legislation with an 8-5 violation of the ten-round magazine size limit right of the People Republican majority how can the Republi- of the SAFE Act. Simeon was a concealed to keep cans call themselves a pro-Second Amend- carry license holder, but had no firearm with and bear arms, ment party. A close examination of the com- him on the night of his arrest. shall not be mittee’s members shows that two, if not three (Continued on page 19) infringed. Firing Lines page 2 SCOPE PHONE NUMBERS Michael Giuliano [email protected] Newsletter Deadline for the Next Issue To contact SCOPE: 585.727.0280 E-mail: [email protected] September 15, 2017 Or call 315-27-SCOPE Media Coordinator Joe McAdams Firing Lines is printed every two months. SCOPE Board Members [email protected] 716.570.3436 The deadlines are January 15, March 15, May 15, SCOPE Chapter Chairs are July 15, September 15 and November 15. also Board Members Frank Panasuk [email protected] We do take articles from you, our members. President 716.864.8815 They are subject to editing for spelling and gram- Tim Andrews [email protected] Kathie Ricketson mar. We also reserve the right not to print the arti- 585.315.6411 [email protected] cle. 585.535.0670 Articles should be emailed as a file. Text or Chairman Emeritus Harold ‘Budd’ Schroeder Don Smith basic Word document formats are preferred. Please [email protected] [email protected] NO PDF files. 716.861.9302 315.524.8017 Chairman of the Board SCOPE CHAPTER Don Hey INFORMATION Cortland Committee [email protected] We are just listing the Chapter Chairman Randy Weatherby Oneida-Herkimer Chapter 716.860.9388 Chairs information. [email protected] Chairman Fred Rebscher 607.423.2953 [email protected] 1st Vice President Allegany Chapter 315.723.6846 Nicholas Massal Chairman Steven Speta Delaware Committee [email protected] [email protected] Chairman Andrea Elliot Ontario Chapter 585.593.0131 Meetings 3rd Tuesday [email protected] Chairman Doug Negley Angelica American Legion 845.586.1721 [email protected] 2nd Vice President 7:00pm Angelica, NY 585.507.6735 Bill Fox Sr Dutchess Chapter Meetings 3rd Monday 7:30pm [email protected] Capitol District Chapter: Chairman Chris Zaleski Inn on The Lake Canandaigua, 585.356.4992 Albany/Columbia/Greene/ [email protected] NY Schenectady/Rensselaer At Large Directors Chairmain Curtis Cappellano Erie Chapter [email protected] Chairman Carl Leas Orange Chapter Bob Brannan 518.966.4271 [email protected] Chairman Mike Kubow [email protected] Meetings 4th Wednesday Meetings 3 rd Thursday, [email protected] 315.573.9088 7:00pm. Zaloga Post Albany, NY 7:00pm. 845.496.1 183 Location to be announced Cattaraugus Chapter Chairman Michael Guerin Genesee Chapter Orleans Chapter [email protected] Chairman Bill Fox Sr. Chairman David Thom FIRING LINES 716.597.9001 [email protected] [email protected] st 585.589.6918 Meetings 1 Thursday 7:00pm 585.356.4992 American Legion Ellicottville, Meetings 2nd Monday 7:00pm Editor - Ralph Esposito Meetings 2nd Tuesday Hoag Library; 1 st Floor NY 7:00pm To contact SCOPE Calvary Baptist Church Main Street Albion, NY and FIRING LINES Cayuga Chapter 3515 Galloway Rd. Batavia, Call (315) 27-SCOPE George Chipman NY Putnam Chapter Or Write: [email protected] Chairman Nicholas Castellano SCOPE 315.252.8541 Jefferson-Lewis Chapter [email protected] PO Box 165 Chairman C. Bruce Kingsley 845.475.8672 East Aurora, NY 14052 Central NY Chapter: [email protected] Onondaga/Oswego 315.649.3424 All written material is ChairmanMike Mastrogio- St. Lawrence Chapter copyrighted by the author and Meetings 3rd Monday 7:00pm vanni Watertown Sportsmen's Club Chairman Jamie Briggs or SCOPE, Inc. Permission is Mike.mastrogiovanni@scopen [email protected] granted to use all or part of the Watertown, NY 315.771.1374 published articles in the Firing y.org Lines as long as credit is given 315.652.4597 Monroe Chapter to the author and SCOPE, Inc. Meetings Runnings Store Chairman Chris Edes Saratoga Chapter 7:00pm Liverpool, NY RC PRODUCTIONS [email protected] Chairman Gino Danese 585.202.7741 [email protected] Chautauqua Chapter 518.883.5189 Chairman Will Conta Niagara Chapter Meetings 4th Thursday [email protected] Chairman John Peracciny 7:00pm 716.857.0382 [email protected] 4H Training Center Ballston Chemung Chapter 716.998.1434 Spa, NY Tom Reynolds Meetings2nd Tuesday 7:00pm [email protected] Wilson Conservation Club 607.215.0612 Wilson, NY (Continued on page 3) Firing Lines page 3 (Continued from page 2) Southern Tier Chapter [email protected] Yates Chapter Chenango/Madison/Broome 607.625.3463 Chairman John Prendergast Schoharie Chapter Chairman Shawn Palmer Please call Chairman Hopler [email protected] Chairman Russell Case III [email protected] for meeting dates & times 315.694.0481 [email protected] 607.316.4907 518.366.1779 Steuben Chapter Ulster Chapter “There are almost alternate venue every 3 months. Chairman Doug Mitchell Chairman Santos Lopez Meetings 3rd Thursday 7:00pm [email protected] [email protected] 4 million gun own- Carlisle Town Hall Carlisle, NY 607.359.2928 845.418.2881 ers in New York.