Kaplan, a national leader on gun safety, called the rating a “badge of honor”
GLEN COVE, NY (October 2, 2022) – With less than five weeks to go until the November 8 election, New York State Senator Anna M. Kaplan (D-Port Washington) announced that she’s earned an “F” rating from the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) political action committee. Senator Kaplan, a national leader on gun safety who authored the New York’s landmark ban on dangerous ghost guns, called the rating from the pro-gun group “a badge of honor.”
Senator Anna M. Kaplan said “with the horrific rise in mass shootings across the United States in the last decade, we can’t let extremists continue to rob us of our basic right to safe schools, safe streets, and safe houses of worship. I’m proud to have earned an ‘F’ rating from the NRA, and I hold it up as a badge of honor because I earned it by fighting against the gun lobby and standing up for the safety of our community. As Senator, I’ve been a leading voice for common sense gun safety reforms in New York, and I’m proud of my record closing dangerous loopholes, banning ghost guns, and delivering over $200 million for gun violence prevention efforts in our community. I will never stop fighting for the safety and security of Long Island families.”
Senator Kaplan was inspired to run for the State Senate in 2018 after meeting with high school students from Great Neck who came to her and asked for her support of their protest for action on gun safety legislation following a lack of interest or support by the sitting Republican State Senator. The students spoke of the overwhelming fear they were experiencing in the wake of the devastating attack on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and they pleaded with Senator Kaplan for help taking action.
Upon taking office in 2019, the very first bill Senator Kaplan passed in the State Senate was a gun safety bill that closed a dangerous loophole in the background check process. Last year, Senator Kaplan authored and passed the toughest ghost gun ban in the nation, known as the Scott J. Beigel Unfinished Receiver Act, which has since served as a model for gun safety reforms in other states and the federal government.
In recognition of her strong support for common sense gun safety reforms, Senator Kaplan has earned the “Gun Sense Candidate” distinction from Moms Demand Action each of the three times she’s run for State Senate, including this year. Moms Demand Action defines Gun Sense Candidates as those who will stand up for gun safety if elected into office, and those who will advocate for safer communities. In contrast, Senator Kaplan’s opponent has previously been endorsed by the official NRA affiliate in New York.
Kaplan, who has earned two previous “F” ratings from the NRA and its affiliates, previously made headlines with her statement of “good riddance” when the NRA announced it was relocating from New York to Texas.
ABOUT SENATOR ANNA KAPLAN: Anna Kaplan is a former child refugee who has devoted her life to public service as a way of giving back to the country that has given her so much. Now serving her second term as a New York State Senator, Anna is fighting hard for Long Island and delivering results for our community on important issues like middle class tax relief, women’s rights, and keeping our communities safe from gun violence and hate crimes. For more information about Senator Anna Kaplan, visit www.annafornysenate.com
