SCOPE Annual Banquet  by Tom Reynolds SCOPE’s annual banquet on September 26th was a success from multiple standpoints. Joe Hernandez (R-NYS Comptroller candidate) and Saritha Komatireddy (R-NYS Attorney General candidate) were the two scheduled speakers, but Congresswoman Claudia Tenney ( R) and Tom Hood (R-Lieutenant Governor candidate) also asked to join us.  What followed were rousing speeches about the problems and solutions in NY State. All the speakers used the term “team” and emphasized that the election will be decided by the voter turnout – and the turnout of gun owners, in particular. Both Tenney and Hernandez drove home the dangers of the Marxist takeover of the Democrat party and singled out the NY City Mayor, in particular, is a symbol of that danger to America.  Tenney summarized, “It’s really about Marxism;” they “don’t believe in our rights.”  Claudia opined that moderate Democrats can’t say no to the radicals in their party. Hernandez spoke about his father being a political prisoner and how his family escaped from Cuban communism when Joe was seven.  He spoke about opportunity in America and what an amazing society we have and his need to “…give back to America.”  As to communism, Hernadez said that, “History is on our side,” making reference to communism’s multiple failures. Saritha spoke about being born in India, emigrating to America, and how the 9-1-1 attack changed her career focus into law.  Her goal is protecting America and, in her decade as a federal prosecutor, Komatireddy specialized in terrorism, cybercrime, transnational criminal enterprises, money laundering, and foreign public corruption. She spoke about some of her cases taking on leaders of Al Qaeda, the Islamic State, and the Mexican drug cartels. Saritha Komatireddy and Tom Hood emphasized the fight against crime.  Both felt that a major issue is the lack of consequences to criminals for their actions; Hood emphasized this as a factor in youth crime being on the rise.  Komatireddy says the Attorney General must support law enforcement and enforce the laws.  Fraud in government programs also was discussed with Hood singling it out for attention.  Komatireddy pointed out the unsolved epidemic of fraud in Medicaid and SNAP programs and how the Democrats want universal Medicare without solving these problems, first. Utility expenses were also discussed.  Tenney pointed out how little of New York’s energy comes from wind and solar and how the lack of Natural Gas transportation infrastructure is a threat to the grid.  She also pointed out at that there is a law banning new Natural Gas appliances and Governor Hochul is delaying implementing it until after the election. Hood sat next to me and we had a discussion on how the Natural Gas ban is hurting the upstate economy as New York residents buy natural gas pumped from just across the border in Pennsylvania.  All the speakers addressed 2nd Amendment issues.  Saritha said she will “…follow the Constitution” and “…stand up for the rights of law-abiding gun owners.”  That she, “knows the difference between law-abiding gun owners and criminals.” Hernandez spoke about the current Comptroller advising investment firms to treat gun related stocks ‘…like ‘pornography and drugs’ and how, in 2013, the Comptroller dumped gun stocks from the NY Pension fund that he controls.  Hernandez believes that these investments should be decided on the merits and not politics. Hood spoke about the Governor Hochul’s tax and background check on ammo purchases and how it is driving ammo sales into Pennsylvania.  He is concerned that New York State firearm retailers cannot stay in business due to these lost sales. Tenney is well known for sponsoring 2nd Amendment friendly laws and she pointed out some of them.  She also emphasized, as a clue to her opponent’s real convictions, that her opponent claims to be 2nd Amendment friendly but favors a requirement for gun owners to have liability insurance, which would make gun ownership even more expensive. I mentioned to a person providing security that I was carrying and he replied that I was probably not the only one!  When I asked Todd Hood if he carried when campaigning, I got a broad smile. During the evening, several mentions were made of SCOPE’s MYVOTEMATTERSNY.com as well as SCOPE’s social media accounts and the efforts to get-out-the-vote, this November.  Steve Leonard was praised for heading up this effort. Gary Zielinski and Doug Mitchell were each presented with a ‘SCOPE Eagle’ award for their long service to the 2nd Amendment and to SCOPE. The organization Armed Women of America was also present and singled out for praise for their work with women. SCOPE President John Elwood spoke about SCOPE’s support of lawsuits protecting the 2nd Amendment and the positive outcome of one, in particular. As always, the success of the banquet is due to the efforts of Sue Maressa.  Thanks to the efforts of Chairman Jack Prendergast, the entire program came in twenty-five minutes under schedule, in spite of two extra speakers.

Above left:  Gary Zielinski receiving his award from John Elwood Above right: Doug Mitchell receiving his award from Jack Prendergast

S.C.O.P.E. 2026 Annual Banquet Palmyra VFW Post 6778 4306 Route 31 · Palmyra · NY 5:00PM - 9:00PM

Candidate for New York State Comptroller, Joseph Hernandez will be speaking on Saturday; below is a brief biography.   Joseph Hernandez is an entrepreneur, investor, business builder, and the Republican and Conservative nominee for New York State Comptroller. A Cuban refugee and the son of a political prisoner, Joseph came to America at seven years old in search of freedom and opportunity. He went on to build a career in biotechnology, healthcare, finance, and advanced technology, founding and leading numerous companies and taking multiple companies public. Coming from a country where individual freedoms were taken away, Joseph has a deep respect for the constitutional rights Americans enjoy, including the Second Amendment. Under Tom DiNapoli, the pension fund has been used to press major financial institutions over firearms-related transactions, including asking them to explore systems that could reject purchases of firearms, ammunition, and gun accessories. DiNapoli has described these efforts as addressing investment and reputational risks. Joseph has vowed never to use New Yorkers’ retirement savings to advance political priorities or restrict the lawful exercise of constitutional rights. As Comptroller, he would focus the pension fund on performance, risk, and returns, fight waste, fraud, and abuse, and always protect New Yorkers’ Second Amendment rights.

S.C.O.P.E. 2026 Annual Banquet Palmyra VFW Post 6778 4306 Route 31 · Palmyra · NY 5:00PM - 9:00PM

New York's lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Todd Hood is added to our list of speakers for this Saturday's SCOPE Banquet. New York's lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Todd Hood is added to our list of speakers for this Saturday's SCOPE Banquet Sheriff Todd Hood began his service as Sheriff for Madison County in 2018. Sheriff Hood was born in Oneida, NY and has been a Madison County resident his entire life. He attended Oneida City Schools graduating in 1987. He went on to attend Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology.  Sheriff Hood began his career in law enforcement with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office as a Corrections Officer and graduated from the Mohawk Valley Police Academy in 1991. From there he worked as patrolman at NYS Parks Police, Village of Clinton, and Town of Kirkland until 1993 when he became a patrolman with the Syracuse Police Department. While at Syracuse PD, Sheriff Hood was a Detective with the Gang Task Force, S.W.A.T. Supervisor/Team Leader, Firearms Instructor, and was deputized to the US Marshal NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force. He retired after 22 years with the Syracuse Police Department and then went to work with the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office as an Investigator for Criminal Investigations/Homicides. Sheriff Hood became the Madison County Sheriff in January and as Sheriff, he commands a work force of 170+ members consisting of Corrections Officers, Road Patrol Deputies, Civil Division, Pistol Permit Division, Children’s Advocacy Center and oversees a 9.5 million dollar budget.

Hochul Responds  by Tom Reynolds

Yesterday, I wrote that the DOJ had concluded that it was unconstitutional to ban 18-20 year olds from  purchasing a firearm.   I ended by saying that it was doubtful that Kathy Hochul would abide by that ruling.  Later that same day, this was written in Breitbart by AWR Hawkins.

‘Despite the DOJ finding a ban on handgun sales to 18-20 year-olds was “unconstitutional,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) made clear such a prohibition will remain in force in her state…Gov. Hochul used an X post to counter: “Not in New York. No teenager should be able to walk into a gun store and buy a handgun. Our laws don’t allow it and that’s not changing.”’

‘Hochul did not say if 18-20 year-olds will be banned from exercising other constitutionally protected rights, such a voting, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, a trial by jury, etc., or if Second Amendment rights are singled out as the ones that cannot be exercised until age 21.’

And Tom Knighton had this to say in Bearing Arms.

‘If a 19-year-old buys a handgun in New York, assuming he's prosecuted at all, what kind of charges will he face? Juvenile or adult? The answer, of course, is adult charges. He's not a juvenile under the law anywhere in the United States. By that definition, he's not a "teenager" in any legal sense of the term.’

‘It's absolute BS to claim otherwise, but Hochul's decision to refer to them as such isn't an accident; it's calculated to make it seem like she's the rational one. Never mind that "teenagers" get handguns in New York all the time, then use them illegally, but those who follow the law are disarmed in the face of potential aggression against them. You shouldn't think about that because "teenagers" might buy guns lawfully.’

Boiled down, Hochul is choosing to treat 18-20 year olds differently, when buying a gun, than they are treated under every other aspect of the law.  If she can single out any one group as exempt from constitutional protections, what is to stop her from going after you for any other reason?

Remember this when voting in November.

You are planning on voting in November, aren’t you?

18 to 20 Year Olds  by Tom Reynolds

A press release from the Department of Justice (emphasis added): 

Today, the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel released a legal opinion concluding that the federal prohibition may not be enforced against consistent with the licensed dealers selling handguns to otherwise law-abiding adults ages 18 to 20 Second Amendment.

The Office of Legal Counsel’s new opinion explains that federal statutes 18 U.S.C. § 922(b)(1) and (c)(1) are inconsistent with the Second Amendment as interpreted by the Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller, New York State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n v. Bruen, and subsequent decisions including Wolford v. Lopez. These statutes generally prohibit federally licensed dealers from selling handguns or handgun ammunition to individuals under 21.

The Office of Legal Counsel determined that 18 to 20-year-olds are among “the people” protected by the Second Amendment. “Eighteen-year-olds may vote, serve on juries, be drafted, and face adult criminal penalties, including capital punishment,” said Assistant Attorney General T. Elliot Gaiser for the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel. "The Constitution protects the people’s right to keep and bear arms. The Department of Justice may not constitutionally seek to impose criminal penalties on dealers who sell handguns to law-abiding adults who, in nearly every other relevant respect, are members of the political community.”

Because the restrictions burden the ability of members of “the people” to acquire commonly used arms, they fall within the Amendment’s plain text and are presumptively unconstitutional. The Office of Legal Counsel found no Founding era history or tradition of precluding legal adults from purchasing firearms to protect public safety. To the contrary, at the Founding, militia statutes overwhelmingly required service beginning at 18 and required enrollees to furnish their own arms.

The Office of Legal Counsel concludes that Section 922(b)(1) and (c)(1) may not be enforced to impose criminal penalties on dealers who sell handguns to a class of law-abiding adults who, in nearly every other relevant respect, are members of the political community.

____________________________________

I am not a lawyer, but I noticed the announcement deals with legalizing sales to 18 to 20 year olds, not possession of firearms by them.

Since Kathy Hochul and her cohorts have, in the past, immediately proceeded to try a work-around to rulings they don’t like from the Supreme Court, it’s doubtful they will accept a ruling from the Department of Justice.  I expect they will try to enforce the ban on 18 to 20 year olds on some pretext, necessitating more court cases for N Y Attorney General Letitia James to defend.

Dear SCOPE Member,

As the November 3rd election approaches, we need your help expanding the reach of MyVoteMattersNY on Facebook.

Facebook shows posts to more people when users actively comment on and share them. 

We are looking for SCOPE members with 30 or more Facebook friends or followers who are willing to serve as MyVoteMattersNY Social Media Volunteers.

Here’s how you can help:

• Follow the Facebook.com/MyVoteMattersNY page

• Comment on our posts to increase engagement

• Share important posts with your Facebook network

• Encourage friends and family to follow the page

• Invite others to visit MyVoteMattersNY.com

If you are willing to help, please reply to sleonard7@stny.rr.com with the subject: “I’ll help spread the message.”

This will require only a few minutes each week, but the collective impact could be significant. Every comment and share helps us reach more voters, encourage informed participation, and remind New Yorkers that their votes matter.

The future is decided by those who show up—and reaching more potential voters starts with your help.

Thank you for your commitment to SCOPE and to helping us educate, engage, and mobilize New York voters.

In liberty,
Steve Leonard
Director of Marketing and Communications
S.C.O.P.E., Inc.

Constitution Day - R I P

Constitution Day is an American federal observance that recognizes the adoption of the United States Constitution. It is observed, today, on September 17th, the day in 1787 that delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution.

If the Democrat Socialist of America Party (DSA) has its way, this will be the last celebration - since our Constitution would no longer exist.  And since DSA is taking over the Democrat Party, that is a real threat!

Not only does DSA want to repeal the 2nd Amendment and replace it with an amendment that brutally restricts our gun rights, they are going after the very essences of our Constitution.

The founders were deathly afraid of central government and especially a big central government, since that becomes a genuine threat to our rights, even with real controls.  So, they built in a system of 'checks and balances'.

The founders created three independent branches of government, each elected or appointed in a different way, and each with the ability to check each other.  Remember them:  Executive, Legislative and Judicial?

The DSA wants the President appointed by Congress and, therefore, beholden to Congress for the job.  Not elected by the people, through the Electoral College, and beholden to the people for the job.  Unchecked government beholden only to the government is their goal! 

DSA must believe that the government – under them – would never dream of abusing our rights; DSA would just change the Constitution so we don’t have the rights, as with the 2nd Amendment.

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has the ability to declare laws unconstitutional and, therefore, unenforceable; a real check on the other branches of government.  It has consisted of nine members for 150 years; the number is set by law and not set in the Constitution. 

SCOTUS makeup has swayed back-and-forth between originalist/constitutionalist and liberal.  Right now, SCOTUS makeup tends originalist/constitutionalist, which would be a real impediment to DSA’s plans - if they should get back power after November’s elections.  So, the DSA would end the originalist/constitutionalist makeup of SCOTUS, forever, by ‘packing’ the court - if they get power.  They would do this by adding a dozen judges to the current nine, all approved by DSA Democrats.

Of course, if they don’t get back power, they would stand firmly against the Republican Party doing the same. 

By the way, the Republicans have no plans to pack the court and, in fact, proposed an amendment to make nine judges the permanent number set in the Constitution.  This was defeated by the Democrats. 

DSA also has other plans that attack both the checks-and-balances issue and opens us up to the tyranny of the majority; the latter was also a major issue back in 1787.

The founders were split on the makeup of the legislative branch.  The big, populous, states wanted representation based on population, which would give a few big states control of the government.  The smaller states would not approve this, as they would be subject to the “tyranny of the majority.”  (Doubt that?  On a smaller scale, N Y State proves the small state’s theory, since the less populated areas have no effective say in Albany, as both legislative houses are based on population and we are subject to the ‘tyranny of the N Y City majority.’) 

As a compromise, the founders voted for the legislature to consist of two branches; one based on population and one with two Senators from every state.  This addressed the population issue and also reenforced the ‘check and balances’ theory as each legislative house could nullify most actions of the other house.

DSA wants to abolish the Senate.  Welcome to rule by Los Angeles, Chicago and NY City!

And under the ‘tyranny of the majority’ issue, the founders built other protections for small states.  For instance:  the Electoral College assigns votes based on the number of Representatives plus Senators; if a Presidential election has to be decided in the House of Representatives, each state gets only one vote.

The Constitution protects private property; that’s effectively gone under the DSA.

DSA has made inroads on the Democrat Party by showing up to vote.  Off year elections, like this year, usually have a lower turn out and the primaries leading up to these elections have an even lower turn out.  The DSA is motivated and they turned out for primaries while establishment Democrats showed their usual mid-term indifference and stayed home.  Guess who won?

Now, gun owners who don’t vote are probably saying, “What do I care. I wouldn’t have voted for any of them.”  But if gun owners are fond of the Constitution, they might consider turning out in November or it will be the  United States Constitution R I P.

NFA Sinking Fast  by Tom Reynolds

In 1934, the National Firearms Act (NFA) put both a tax and mandated permitting requirement on sound suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns.  When Congress approved the National Firearms Act (NFA), it framed the law as a tax measure, justifying its regulations as tools to facilitate the generation of revenue and avoiding conflict with the 2nd Amendment.

In 2025, Congress eliminated the federal taxes on making and transferring sound suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns and, thus, eliminated the tenuous connection to Congress’ authority to tax. 

But of course, the gun control forces did not go quietly so there have been court cases to force compliance.

A Federal Judge in Texas rejected NFA regulations, saying that their tax rationale no longer applies.  U.S. District Judge James Hendrix concluded that NFA provisions no longer apply after Congress eliminated the federal taxes on making and transferring sound suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns,

While a victory for gun rights, it is not a victory for the 2nd Amendment since it hinges on Congress’ power to tax.  But it does uphold a broader principle: The federal government's powers are limited to those enumerated in the Constitution, and congressional legislation must be authorized by one of those powers.

Another Texas judge landed another body blow on the NFA.

Judge James Wesley Hendrix of the Northern District of Texas had said that his order striking down the NFA’s mandated permitting process as unconstitutional would go into effect unless the Justice Department appealed.

Trump administration officials didn’t file an appeal.  In effect, the Justice Department let long-standing restrictions on owning short-barreled guns and suppressors lapse.

Fighting for 2A Rights  by Tom Reynolds

The Trump administration continues to be the 2nd Amendment’s best champion.

Viramontes v. Cook County and Grant v. Higgins (Connecticut)are consolidated cases asking whether the 2nd and 14th Amendments protect the right to possess AR-15-platform and similar semiautomatic rifles. Cook County and Connecticut want to outlaw America’s most popular rifle.

The oral arguments are scheduled for December 2nd.

The Trump administration wants to be heard when the Supreme Court hears its most consequential Second Amendment case in years.

The Justice Department has already filed an amicus brief supporting the gun owners and arguing that categorical AR-15 bans are unconstitutional. Now, United States Solicitor General D. John Sauer, on behalf of the United States, asked the Supreme Court for permission to participate in oral arguments.

Sauer wrote, “These cases present the question whether a categorical ban on the possession of AR-15 semiautomatic rifles infringes the right to keep and bear arms guaranteed by the Second Amendment…such a ban is unconstitutional.”

When you vote in November, remember who is fighting to take away your 2A rights and who is fighting to preserve those rights.

Subject: Please Follow MyVoteMattersNY on Facebook Dear SCOPE Member, On August 26, S.C.O.P.E. Inc. formally launched the MyVoteMattersNY Get Out the Vote (GOTV) initiative. MyVoteMattersNY is about reaching New Yorkers concerned about the direction of our state—from constitutional rights and government overreach to affordability, public safety, and economic opportunity. SCOPE has nearly 3,000 members — We need your help expanding the reach of MyVoteMattersNY. If a majority of SCOPE members follows and shares the MyVoteMattersNY page on Facebook, we can reach thousands more New Yorkers with important voter-education information leading up to the election on November 3rd. Please take three simple steps: Follow MyVoteMattersNY on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MyVoteMattersNY Like and share its posts. Invite family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers to follow the page. Every new follower strengthens our ability to educate, engage, and mobilize New Yorkers. Together, we can make sure more voters understand what is at stake and make their voices heard.  The future is decided by those who show up! Thank you for your continued commitment to SCOPE and MyVoteMattersNY. In Liberty, Steve Leonard Director of Marketing and Communications S.C.O.P.E. Inc.