Dear Commons Community,

Governor Andrew Cuomo delivered his third  State of the State address yesterday.  He was most animated speaking about the need for greater gun control and called on lawmakers to approve an assault weapons ban in the nation.

“Forget the extremists — it’s simple,” Mr. Cuomo said near the end of his 80-minute speech. “No one hunts with an assault rifle. No one needs 10 bullets to kill a deer. End the madness now.”

Mr. Cuomo not only proposed a far more restrictive assault weapons ban than currently exists in New York, but he also proposed a more comprehensive ban on large-capacity magazines. He also proposed to require background checks for private sales of guns, not just at gun shows and stores. And he called for tougher penalties for buying guns illegally or for using them to commit crimes, as well as for uniform licensing standards across the state.

“This is not taking away people’s guns,” he said. “That is not what this is about. It is about ending the unnecessary risk of high-capacity assault rifles.”

For those interested in education issues,  Cuomo referred extensively to the recent New York Education Reform Commission Report and specifically wants to fund initiatives to extend the school day.  For higher education, he called on the need for community colleges to retool their programs for the modern “high-skills” economy.  He specifically mentioned CUNY’s New Community College.  He also commented on the need for incubators and college-business partnerships and mentioned the NYSUNY and NYCUNY grant programs.

Tony