Poll: 3 of 4 New Yorkers back state's gun laws

ALBANY — An overwhelming majority of New Yorkers approve of the state’s strict gun laws, including ones raising the age to purchase semi-automatic rifles and requiring a license to carry a concealed handgun, according to a survey published Thursday.

The Siena College poll found New Yorkers favor a new law — by a count of 76% to 14% — that requires a permit to buy a semi-automatic rifle and raises the purchase age from 18 to 21.

And it’s not just Democrats or liberals who favor the law: 67% of Republicans and 73% of gun owners also approve it, according to the poll.

The law was enacted by Gov. Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature shortly after an 18-year-old avowed white supremacist killed 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket on May 14.

“More than three-quarters of voters think the new law — requiring a permit to obtain a semi-automatic rifle going forward — will be good for New York, including at least 65% of every demographic group,” said Steve Greenberg, spokesman for the Siena poll.

On a similar theme, New Yorkers — by a 79% to 15% margin — want the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold New York’s decades-old law requiring a permit to carry a concealed weapon. That includes 79% of Republicans and 72% of gun owners.

The court is expected to issue a ruling soon in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state statute.

The Supreme Court also should uphold Roe v. Wade, the 1973 court decision legalizing abortion rights, New Yorkers told Siena. About 60% of those surveyed favored upholding the law while 24% opposed.

As with the New York gun law, the court is weighing the legality of a Mississippi statute that could upend Roe v. Wade. A draft opinion, leaked from the court earlier this year, suggests to the court is poised to overturn Roe.

Hochul and legislators recently enacted a raft of bills to enhance legal protections for those seeking or performing abortions in New York — 63% of those surveyed said those changes were good for the state; 19% said bad.

Siena surveyed 802 registered New York voters from June 7 to June 9. The poll has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

By Yancey Roy

yancey.roy@newsday.com@yanceyroy