Gun violence mortality is 27 percent higher than a decade ago, and, due to a lack of federal action, states have taken the reins in combating this crisis through significant policymaking. However, there is not much research on the progress or process of enacting important laws on gun violence, including identifying the types of bills introduced, how they proceed through the legislative system to enactment, and how year-to-year changes in political leadership affect that process. To better understand recent state policymaking in New York, the Rockefeller Institute of Government’s researchers analyzed the 161 firearm-related bills introduced by the governor, Senate, and Assembly in New York between 2018 and 2019 to identify trends in legislative interest and activity.

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