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Cuomo Vetoes Gravity Knife Bill (NY)

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Cuomo Vetoes Gravity Knife Bill

Folding knives are illegal in New York. But public defenders have long argued that gravity knives are different, because they're work tools used by electricians and carpenters. For the second year in a row, however, they lost that argument when Gov. Andrew Cuomo vetoed legislation Monday that would have carved out an exemption for these particular knives.

In a memo accompanying his veto, Cuomo stated that the bill would result in "greater confusion among law enforcement and knife owners," and "essentially legalize all folding knives.

Gravity knives get their name because they can be opened with a flick of a wrist. The bill would have legalized the type used by laborers, which have a bias toward closure and aren't as easy to open. Similar legislation was passed and vetoed last year..."

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