Capital Region Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin (R-Melrose) appeared at a press conference today for a bill that would prevent "messages of necessity" from the governor and compared the use of this legislative power by Andrew Cuomo to something dictators Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini would do. The bill that was given this status by the governor was the recent gun control legislation that passed both houses last month.
"We had been there since 9am, it's now eleven at night and we're told basically to shut up and vote. And that's what this is all about. Just don't question it, vote. That's basically the message here. If that's not dictatorial I don't know what is. Hitler would be proud. Mussolini would be proud of what we did here. Moscow would be proud, but that's not democracy."
When asked by Gannett reporter Joe Spector later on about his comments referring Cuomo to Mussolini and Hitler, McLaughlin said, "He's acting like a dictator in my opinion."
Spector replied, "You feel that's an appropriate thing to say about the governor?"
"I just said it," McLaughlin replied.
The bill called the "NYS Government Transparency Act" would be a constitutional amendment that would prevent all legislative proceedings between midnight and 8 a.m. and limit messages of necessity in case of instances like a security threat, natural disaster or dire fiscal situation.
UPDATE - The Assemblyman released a video later in the day and said he called Governor Cuomo to apologize .
