Sorry, I was wrong on that due to false info given to me.
But what IS 100% true is that Cuomo gave this bill a “message of necessity” so the mandatory waiting period was indeed waived. Many of the lawmakers only had a few hours to read it before voting on it.
Also, because the law was grouped in with some mental health reform and school safety reform (by adding more school security measures), that’s is why most voted to pass it. If you read Cuomo’s message, it does not mention at all that the definition of an assault weapon would be changed, it just mentions the banning of assault weapons (which were already banned) and the banning of “large capacity” ammunition feeding devices (which were also already banned).
Would you want to be labeled as one of the senators that voted “no” for adding aid to schools for security purposes after a mass shooting of 7 year olds? Me neither. More politicians would be worried about that more than being labeled as a guy who voted “yes” for stricter gun laws despite criticism from constituents rather than from the entire population.
Keeps Guns Out of Schools: Under the legislation, the penalty for possession of a firearm on school grounds or a school bus will be increased from a misdemeanor to a Class E Felony. The state’s SAVE Act (Safe Schools Against Violence in Education) requires school districts to develop school safety plans including evacuation, dismissal, community response, and alerting family, law enforcement and other schools in the area in the event of a violent incident or other emergency. The legislation will allow school districts to submit their school safety plans to a newly created New York State School Safety Improvement Team, consisting of representatives from state agencies with relevant expertise (e.g. DHSES, State Police, DCJS), which will review plans and assist localities in developing plans. Some designated safety system improvements will be eligible for enhanced re-imbursement under the state’s School Building Aid formula. New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers and Syracuse will be exempted.
Source: http://www.governor.ny.gov/press/12162013cuomo-signs-safe-act-roch