ALBANY – An overwhelming majority of New Yorkers support new gun control measures in the state, though they oppose the idea of arming school teachers, a poll released Monday morning found.
The Siena College poll comes after last month’s mass school shooting in Parkland, Fla., and at a time when Gov. Cuomo and Assembly and Senate Democrats have pushed a variety of new gun control measures.
Nearly 70% of New Yorkers statewide like the idea of posting officers at all New York City public and private schools, including 71% in the city.
But New Yorkers oppose, by 69% to 28%, allowing teachers to carry guns in the classroom.
“While by 11 points Republicans support allowing teachers to be armed, Democrats, independents and downstaters overwhelmingly oppose it, as do a majority of upstaters and a narrow majority of gun owners,” said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg.
The poll also found that 90% of those surveyed support expanding the current maximum three-day firearm background check waiting period to 10 days, while 85% back a bill to keep guns out of the hands of all convicted domestic abusers.
More than three-quarters support outlawing the sale and possession of bump-stock devices like the one used in the Las Vegas mass shooting last year.
And about two-thirds of New Yorkers, including a small majority of Republicans, support a national ban on the sale of assault weapons.
Cuomo said he will push, as part of the budget negotiations over the next two weeks, measures to take guns away from all convicted domestic violence offenders and expand the background check waiting period to 10 days.
Both measures are supported by the Assembly. They face a more uncertain fate in the GOP-controlled Senate, which is focused more on efforts to beef up school security.