S6483-A/A9042-A add clarifying bias-toward closure exclusions to the state switchblade and gravity knife definitions, similar to that included in the revision to the Federal Switchblade Act that Knife Rights helped pass in 2009. This clarifying exclusion should prevent the bogus Gravity Knife arrests and prosecutions of honest law-abiding individuals in New York City who are carrying common folding knives, tools that are legal to carry everywhere else in the U.S.
Neither Gravity Knives nor Switchblades have a bias towards closure found in common folding knives to keep the blade safely closed in the pocket. Only in New York City has the NYPD and District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. abused the states’ gravity knife law to prosecute those carrying simple pocket knives by claiming they are illegal Gravity Knives.
The City’s Village Voice newspaper found two years ago that there had been as many as 60,000 gravity-knife prosecutions over the past decade! Hundreds of innocent pocket knife carriers are being arrested every week! You can read the Village Voice article at: http://bit.ly/1MiJbvv
Knife Rights’ Federal Civil Rights lawsuit against New York City and District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. over these unconstitutional arrests and prosecutions continues with oral argument scheduled for tomorrow, June 16, which will be just over five years since the lawsuit was filed. The trial continues because until, and only if, Governor Cuomo signs the bill does the case become moot. The public is welcome to attend the oral argument, click here for more information about attending.
June 3, 2016: In a bipartisan vote yesterday, the New York Assembly voted 99 – 12 to pass A9042A, Knife Rights’ gravity knife and switchblade reform bill. A9042A, and its companion bill in the Senate, S6483A, add clarifying bias-toward closure exclusions to the state switchblade and gravity knife definitions, similar to that included in the revision to the Federal Switchblade Act that Knife Rights helped pass in 2009. This clarifying exclusion should prevent the bogus Gravity Knife arrests and prosecutions of honest law-abiding individuals in New York City who are carrying common folding knives, tools that are legal to carry everywhere else in the U.S.
Now all focus moves to the Republican controlled Senate, which has sent mixed messages on how they intend to act on this bill. As knife owners, we must ask why Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan has so far resisted efforts to persuade him to allow a floor vote on the bill. Why would the Republican controlled New York Senate not immediately vote on a bill that would protect workmen, sportsmen, collectors and shop keepers from being arrested for possessing a simple pocket knife?
Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal editorial on the pending lawsuit and the legislation to address the issue contained the following statement: “Legislation is also pending before the state Senate, although a spokesman for the Senate Republicans said it wasn’t clear if it would be voted on this session.“
S6483A has already unanimously passed the Senate Codes Committee and now requires only one final vote of the whole Senate to go to the Governor. Again we must ask, why the Republican controlled Senate is not moving with all haste to get this important bipartisan legislation through before the session ends in mid-June?
If you live, work or travel in New York and New York City, please CALL or EMAIL Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, TODAY and simply deliver the message that you are "calling/writing to respectfully request that Leader Flanagan please schedule S6483A for a vote," and then thank him. Please be POLITE and RESPECTFUL.
CALL Majority Leader Flanagan TODAY at:
518-455-2071
EMAIL Majority Leader Flanagan TODAY at: flanagan@nysenate.gov
Again, please be POLITE and RESPECTFUL, just deliver the message "I am calling/writing to respectfully request that Leader Flanagan please schedule S6483A for a vote," and then thank him. That’s it, keep it short and simple and above all BE POLITE and RESPECTFUL
If Emailing, use the Subject: Please Schedule S6483A for Senate Vote
If you call, they may ask you the city and state where you live, for their call record. If you email, include your city and state. In either case, if you live out-of-state, explain how you work in, or travel to, New York / New York City.
Neither Gravity Knives nor Switchblades have a bias towards closure found in common folding knives to keep the blade safely closed in the pocket. Only in New York City has the NYPD and District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. abused the states’ gravity knife law to prosecute those carrying simple pocket knives by claiming they are illegal Gravity Knives.
The City’s Village Voice newspaper found two years ago that there had been as many as 60,000 gravity-knife prosecutions over the past decade! Hundreds of innocent pocket knife carriers are being arrested every week! You can read the Village Voice article at: http://bit.ly/1MiJbvv
STOP the Bogus NYC Pocket Knife Arrests and Prosecutions!
Please CALL or EMAIL Senate Majority Leader Flanagan TODAY!
May 31, 2016: The New York Times editorial board has called for passage of the fix to NY’s gravity knife law which has resulted in the unjust arrest of thousands of people in New York City for carrying simple everyday pocket knives. Knife Rights has been working on this fix for 5 years and we agree 100% with the Times. The time has come to fix this law and prevent the ongoing arrest of thousands of citizens for simply possessing a common tool millions use every day.
Today’s NY Times Editorial, “New York’s Outdated Knife Law” concludes: “The state’s Office of Court Administration has called for a change in the law, and a bill in Albany would exempt from the ban the sorts of knives that are widely available for sale and that the average person would need both hands to open. This would help to reduce the number of unwarranted arrests without endangering public safety. A similar bill passed the Assembly last year but failed in the Senate. There is no reason not to pass it this time.”
If you live, work or travel in New York and New York City, please CALL or EMAIL the Chairman of the Rules Committee, Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, TODAY and simply deliver the message that you are "calling/writing to respectfully request that Leader Flanagan please schedule S6483A for a vote," and then thank him. Please be POLITE and RESPECTFUL.
CALL Majority Leader Flanagan TODAY at:
518-455-2071
EMAIL Majority Leader Flanagan TODAY at: flanagan@nysenate.gov
Again, please be POLITE and RESPECTFUL, just deliver the message "I am calling/writing to respectfully request that Leader Flanagan please schedule S6483A for a vote," and then thank him. That’s it, keep it short and simple and above all BE POLITE and RESPECTFUL
If Emailing, use the Subject: Please Schedule S6483A for Senate Vote
If you call, they may ask you the city and state where you live, for their call record. If you email, include your city and state. In either case, if you live out-of-state, explain how you work in, or travel to, New York / New York City.
S6483A adds clarifying bias-towards closure exclusions to the state switchblade and gravity knife definitions, similar to that included in the revision to the Federal Switchblade Act that Knife Rights helped pass in 2009. This clarifying exclusion should prevent the bogus Gravity Knife arrests and prosecutions of honest law-abiding individuals in New York City who are carrying common folding knives, tools that are legal to carry everywhere else in the U.S.
Neither Gravity Knives nor Switchblades have a bias towards closure found in common folding knives to keep the blade safely closed in the pocket. Only in New York City has the NYPD and District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. abused the states’ gravity knife law to prosecute those carrying simple pocket knives by claiming they are illegal Gravity Knives.
The City’s Village Voice newspaper found two years ago that there had been as many as 60,000 gravity-knife prosecutions over the past decade! Hundreds of innocent pocket knife carriers are being arrested every week! You can read the Village Voice article at: http://bit.ly/1MiJbvv
STOP the Bogus NYC Pocket Knife Arrests and Prosecutions!
Please CALL or EMAIL Senate Majority Leader Flanagan TODAY!
March 21, 2016: The next hurdle to getting Knife Rights’ New York Knife Law Reform bill (S6483A) passed to end the widespread persecution of those carrying pocket knives in New York City is to get the Senate Rules Committee to pass the bill so it can be voted on by the full Senate.
If you live, work or travel in New York and New York City, please CALL or EMAIL the Chairman of the Rules Committee, Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, TODAY and simply deliver the message that you are "calling/writing to respectfully request that Leader Flanagan please schedule S6483A for a vote," and then thank him. Please be POLITE and RESPECTFUL.
CALL Majority Leader Flanagan TODAY at:
518-455-2071
EMAIL Majority Leader Flanagan TODAY at: flanagan@nysenate.gov
Again, please be POLITE and RESPECTFUL, just deliver the message "I am calling/writing to respectfully request that Leader Flanagan please schedule S6483A for a vote," and then thank him. That’s it, keep it short and simple and above all BE POLITE and RESPECTFUL
If Emailing, use the Subject: Please Schedule S6483A for Senate Vote
If you call, they may ask you the city and state where you live, for their call record. If you email, include your city and state. In either case, if you live out-of-state, explain how you work in, or travel to, New York / New York City.
S6483A adds clarifying bias-towards closure exclusions to the state switchblade and gravity knife definitions, similar to that included in the revision to the Federal Switchblade Act that Knife Rights helped pass in 2009. This clarifying exclusion should prevent the bogus Gravity Knife arrests and prosecutions of honest law-abiding individuals in New York City who are carrying common folding knives, tools that are legal to carry everywhere else in the U.S.
Neither Gravity Knives nor Switchblades have a bias towards closure found in common folding knives to keep the blade safely closed in the pocket. Only in New York City has the NYPD and District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. abused the states’ gravity knife law to prosecute those carrying simple pocket knives by claiming they are illegal Gravity Knives.
The City’s Village Voice newspaper found two years ago that there had been as many as 60,000 gravity-knife prosecutions over the past decade! Hundreds of innocent pocket knife carriers are being arrested every week! You can read the Village Voice article at: http://bit.ly/1MiJbvv
STOP the Bogus NYC Pocket Knife Arrests and Prosecutions!
Please CALL or EMAIL Senate Majority Leader Flanagan TODAY!
March 16, 2016: After the better part of three years of hard work and lobbying by Knife Rights, a bill to address the persecution of over 60,000 pocket knife carriers in New York City has been passed out of the Senate Codes Committee in a unanimous bipartisan vote. S6483A adds clarifying bias-towards closure language to the state switchblade and gravity knife definitions, similar to that included in the revision to the Federal Switchblade Act that Knife Rights helped pass in 2009.
Knife Rights was pleased to work closely with the staff of Chairman Michael Nozzolio’s office, as well as sponsors Assemblyman Dan Quart and Senator Diane Savino, to develop this bill language to everyone’s satisfaction. The bill still has a long way to go, but this vote is a very important milestone. The next stop in the Senate is the Senate Rules Committee. We expect the Assembly version of the bill to move shortly.
Given all they have done to get it to this point, and all that is left to be done, it would be helpful if you could call Senator Nozzolio, and the sponsors, to thank them for moving S 6483A to this juncture. That’s it, keep your call short and to the point, and above all BE POLITE!. We need their support to get this done.
Senator Michael Nozzolio: 518-455-2366
Senator Diane Savino: 518-455-2437
Assemblyman Dan Quart: 518-455-4794
Meanwhile, our Federal Civil Rights lawsuit against New York City and District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. continues with a trial date now scheduled for June 16, which will be just over five years since the lawsuit was filed.
January 24, 2016: Two companion bills, A 9042 and S 6483, have been introduced in New York that would add bias-towards closure language to the state switchblade and gravity knife definitions, sponsored by Assemblyman Dan Quart and Senator Diane Savino. The bills clarify the definition of “Switchblade” and “Gravity Knife” by adding the exception, “does not include a knife that has a spring, detent, or other mechanism designed to create a bias toward closure and that requires exertion applied to the blade by hand, wrist, or arm to overcome the bias toward closure and open the knife.”
These new bills, developed with Knife Rights’ input, are a more comprehensive solution, incorporating the language that was passed by Congress in 2009, with Knife Rights’ support, amending the Federal Switchblade Act to prevent U.S. Customs from redefining switchblades to include one-hand opening and assisted-opening knives. Last year and the year before, Assemblyman Quart’s bills were passed by the Democratic controlled Assembly, but were not acted upon by the Republican controlled Senate. Those bills simply added a “criminal intent” requirement, but didn’t change the definitions.
New York City’s Village Voice newspaper found that over 60,000 people have been prosecuted for carrying common pocket knives in the city. Knife Rights’ civil rights lawsuit challenging these bogus arrests and prosecutions is scheduled for trial on April 29 after the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit unanimously reversed the District Court’s erroneous dismissal of the case on procedural “standing” grounds.
June 23, 2015: The Republican controlled New York State Senate has adjourned after refusing to vote on A.4821 — legislation that would have required a finding of criminal intent in order to prosecute possession cases involving “gravity knives.” The bill would have ended the bogus prosecution of tens of thousands of law-abiding citizens by New York City merely for possessing common folding knives that the City claims are gravity knives, with no criminal intent whatsoever. The Democrat-controlled Assembly passed the legislation June 9.
Knife Rights Director of Legislative Affairs Todd Rathner was in Albany this week working to build support for the measure. The bill was first introduced by New York Assemblyman Dan Quart (D-73 Manhattan) and the Assembly passed it by a wide margin (but also without Republican support). Last year, the Assembly also approved the measure, and the Senate also declined to consider it.
The bill would require that prosecutors prove “intent to use the [gravity knife] unlawfully against another” in order for someone to be prosecuted for possession of a so-called “gravity knife,” which has been novelly interpreted by the City as any locking-blade folding knife that can be “flicked” open. There have been over 60,000 “gravity knife” prosecutions in NYC in the past 10 years, with the rate doubling recently. These prosecutions have focused almost exclusively on common locking-blade pocket knives, not actual historical gravity knives which were the basis for the statute back in the 1950s.
Knife Rights Chairman Doug Ritter said, “We are deeply disappointed by the Senate’s refusal, for the second year in a row, to come to the rescue of the thousands of law-abiding knife owners being wrongfully harassed by New York City under an absurd interpretation of state law. How can these supposedly strong Second Amendment supporters in the Senate turn their back on knife owners who are being wrongfully prosecuted by New York City on a daily basis? This failure condemns thousands of knife owners to continued mistreatment and abuse by New York City. Every one of these arrests is on the heads of these Senators who have once again ignored their plight.”
Knife Rights’ still has its Federal Civil Rights lawsuit pending against the City and District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. over this issue, but a legislative solution now would have prevented tens of thousands more arrests and prosecutions while the lawsuit wends its way through the courts.
Senate leadership has assured Knife Rights that they will consider a knife law reform bill next year. Knife Rights encourages all New York knife law reform supporters and Second Amendment supporters to hold the Senators’ feet to the fire over the next six months. At every opportunity, every meeting, every town hall, keep up the pressure by insisting they support knife law reform next year.
June 22, 2015: URGENT ACTION ALERT New York Bill to “Fix” Gravity Knife Law & Stop Thousands of NYC Arrests Needs Your CALLs and EMAILs TODAY! With Knife Rights lobbyist Todd Rathner on the ground in Albany, we are still trying to sort out exactly where A.4821/S.3675 stands, This is the bill to “fix” New York’s Gravity Knife l by adding “criminal intent” in order to stop thousands of New York City arrests on bogus Gravity Knife charges.
We were assured the bill had been “released”” by Senator Nozzolio from the Codes Committee, but now we are hearing that it’s still in the committee. We are currently trying to find out the truth, but that is almost irrelevant given just hours remain in the session that starts again this afternoon. WE NEED YOU TO CALL RIGHT NOW!
If you live, work or travel to New York please CALL Senator Nozzolio’s office RIGHT NOW and politely request that he “please stop playing politics with A.4821/S.3675 and send it to the Rules Committee so it can move to the floor for a vote. Pushing knife owners off for the second year in a row is not acceptable!”
Senator Nozzolio: 518-455-2366
or email: nozzolio@nysenate.gov
<June 19, 2015: URGENT ACTION ALERT New York Bill to “Fix” Gravity Knife Law & Stop Thousands of NYC Arrests Needs Your CALLs and EMAILs TODAY! Time is running out, but we are still in the fight after the NY Legislature extended its session into next week. After a major behind-the-scenes lobbying effort, the bill to “fix” New York State’s gravity knife law in an effort to protect New York City knife owners, A.4821/S.3675, has finally been released by the Senate Codes Committee and has now been assigned to the Senate Rules Committee. This bill has already passed the Assembly.
A.4821/S.3675 would require that prosecutors prove “intent to use the [gravity knife] unlawfully against another” in order for someone to be prosecuted for possession of a “gravity knife.” There have been over 60,000 gravity knife prosecutions in NYC in the past 10 years with the rate doubling in recent years.
If you live, work or travel in New York, STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING NOW and EMAIL and CALL Rules Committee Chairman Senator John Flanagan RIGHT NOW and politely request that he move A.4821/S.3675 to the floor for a final vote.
CALL and EMAIL Chairman Flanagan NOW!
Phone: 518-455-2071
Email: flanagan@nysenate.gov
Calling is best, but you can also send an email (see below for a sample). When calling, simply ask the person answering the phone to “please tell Chairman Flanagan to move A.4821/S.3675 as soon as possible.”
EMAIL SUBJECT: Please Move A.4821/S.3675 ASAP
Dear Chairman Flanagan,
I am writing to request that you please move A.4821/S.3675 out of the Rules Committee for a final vote as soon as possible. This is a critical bill to protect New York’s pocketknife owners and visitors to New York City carrying a pocketknife like they do every day at home. New York City is needlessly prosecuting upwards of 10,000 innocent people every year for possession of simple pocketknives. This bill would be a big step toward stopping these prosecutions, while still providing for penalties for those intent on doing harm.
Please move A.4821/S.3675 as soon as possible.
Thank you,
June 10, 2015: The bill to “fix” New York state’s gravity knife statute in a effort to protect New York City knife owners, A4821, has passed the Assembly and has now been assigned to the Senate Standing Committee on Codes. A4821l would require that prosecutors prove “unlawful intent” in order for someone to be prosecuted for possessing a “gravity knife.”
New York Assemblyman Dan Quart’s bill would significantly narrow the opportunity for New York City to abuse citizens carrying common locking-blade pocket knives. This is certainly not a complete solution, but it would be a big step in the right direction.
Last year Mr. Quart’s bill passed the Assembly, but failed to be voted upon in the Senate. With significant changes in the Senate after the election, combined with additional pressure as a result of the recent Village Voice article that exposed the extraordinarily wide impact of New York City’s abuse of the existing law (60,000 prosecutions!), along with widespread coverage of Knife Rights’ continuing Federal Civil Rights lawsuit, there is a bit more optimism for passage this year, although the odds are still stacked against it.
Knife Rights is now focused on overcoming the obstacles to passage in the Senate. Stay tuned and we will let you know when your calls and emails are needed.
Feb. 10, 2015: The bill to “fix” New York state’s gravity knife statute in a effort to protect New York City knife owners, A4821, has been assigned to the Assembly Committee on Codes. This bill would require that prosecutors prove “unlawful intent” in order for someone to be prosecuted for possessing a “gravity knife.”
If you live, work or travel in New York, please contact the members of the Committee and politely ask them to support A4821. Click “Read More >>>>” below for the contacts of the Committee Members.
New York Assemblyman Dan Quart’s bill would significantly narrow the opportunity for New York City to abuse citizens carrying common locking-blade pocket knives. This is certainly not a complete solution, but it would be a big step in the right direction. After six years of passing pro-knife bills in 11 states, Knife Rights knows that many times complete success is a multi-year, multi-step endeavor.
Last year Mr. Quart’s bill passed the Assembly, but failed to be voted upon in the Senate. With significant changes in the Senate after the election, combined with additional pressure as a result of the recent Village Voice article that exposed the extraordinarily wide impact of New York City’s abuse of the existing law (60,000 prosecutions!), along with widespread coverage of Knife Rights’ continuing Federal Civil Rights lawsuit, opportunity for passage this year is improved. Knife Rights is working to move the bill through both houses this year.
Knife Rights Director of Legislative Affairs, Todd Rathner, has been working very closely with Assemblyman Quart’s staff to assist in the introduction and passage of this bill.
New York Assembly Committee on Codes:
Assemblyman Joseph Lentol, Chair (District 50)
Email: LentolJ@assembly.state.ny.us
518-455-4477
Assemblyman Thomas Abinanti (District 92)
Email: abinantit@assembly.state.ny.us
518-455-5753
Assemblyman James Brennan (District 44)
Email: BrennanJ@assembly.state.ny.us
518-455-5377
Assemblywoman Vivian E. Cook (District 32)
Email: CookV@assembly.state.ny.us
518-455-4203
Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (District 45)
Email: CymbroS@assembly.state.ny.us
518-455-5214
Assemblyman Joseph M. Giglio (District 48)
Email: GiglioJ@assembly.state.ny.us
518-455-5241
Assemblyman Al Graf (Holbrook 5)
Email: GrafA@assembly.state.ny.us
518-455-5937
Assemblyman Charles D. Lavine (District 13)
Email: LavineC@assembly.state.ny.us
518-455-5456
Assemblyman Tom McKevitt (District 17)
Email: MckeviT@assembly.state.ny.us
518-455-5341
Assemblyman Michael Montesano (District 15)
Email: MontesanoM@assembly.state.ny.us
518-455-5341
Assemblyman Walter T. Mosley (District 57)
Email: MosleyW@assembly.state.ny.us
518-455-5325
Assemblyman Daniel J. O’Donnell (District 58)
Email: OdonnellD@assembly.state.ny.us
518-455-5603
Assemblyman N. Nick Perry (District 17)
Email: PerryN@assembly.state.ny.us
518-455-4166
Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow (District 89)
Email: PretloJ@assembly.state.ny.us
518-455-5291
Assemblyman Edward P. Ra (District 19)
Email: rae@assembly.state.ny.us
518-455-4627
Assemblyman Robin Schimminger (District 140)
Email: SchimmR@assembly.state.ny.us
518-455-4767
Assemblywoman Claudia Tenney (District 101)
Email: tenneyc@assembly.state.ny.us
518-455-5334
Assemblywoman Michele R. Titus (District 31)
Email: TitusM@assembly.state.ny.us
518-455-5668
Assemblywoman Helene E. Weinstein (District 41)
Email: WeinstH@assembly.state.ny.us
518-455-5462
Assemblyman David I. Weprin (District 24)
Email: WeprinD@assembly.state.ny.us
518-455-5806
Assemblyman Keith L.T. Wright (District 70)
Email: WrightK@assembly.state.ny.us
518-455-4793
Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski (District XX)
Email: ZebrowskiK@assembly.state.ny.us
518-455-5735
Jan. 16, 2015: New York Assemblyman Dan Quart from Manhattan has filed a bill to “fix” New York state’s gravity knife statute which has been misapplied and abused by New York City to prosecute an estimated 60,000 citizens over the past 10 years, with the rate doubling in recent years.
The bill, which has yet to be assigned a number, would require that prosecutors prove “unlawful intent” in order for someone to be prosecuted for possessing a “gravity knife.” That would significantly narrow the opportunity for New York City to abuse citizens carrying common locking-blade pocket knives. This is certainly not a complete solution, but it would be a big step in the right direction. After six years of passing pro-knife bills in 11 states, Knife Rights knows that many times complete success is a multi-year, multi-step endeavor.
Last year Mr. Quart’s bill passed the Assembly, but failed to be voted upon in the Senate. With significant changes in the Senate after the election, combined with additional pressure as a result of the recent Village Voice article that exposed the extraordinarily wide impact of New York City’s abuse of the existing law, along with widespread coverage of Knife Rights’ continuing lawsuit, opportunity for passage this year is improved. Knife Rights is working to move the bill through both houses this year.
Knife Rights Director of Legislative Affairs, Todd Rathner, has been working very closely with Assemblyman Quart’s staff to assist in the introduction and passage of this bill. As soon as we have a bill number we will let you know so that you may contact legislators to express your support.