Posted: May 17, 2026 / 10:24 PM EDT
Updated: May 17, 2026 / 11:27 PM EDT
SHARE Lawmaker believes youth hunting bill veto can be overturned | News 4 Buffalo
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Erie County’s debate over youth hunting continues after a veto from Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz — but one legislator believes it should still have enough support from the legislature to override the veto.
“There is overwhelming support for this law. Erie County and Rockland County are the only counties in New York State that don’t participate in the program,” Republican legislator Lindsay Lorigo said.
The bill, passed by the legislature last month in a 7-3 vote, would allow 12- and 13-year-olds to hunt deer with a firearm under adult supervision as part of a pilot program. It’s now going back to the legislature after it was vetoed by Poloncarz on Friday.
“If everybody who voted for it the first time votes for it again, we do have enough votes to override the veto,” Lorigo said. “We did have one legislator missing that does support this law, so we do have 8-3 support.”
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The veto came following a public hearing where residents were overwhelmingly outspoken in support of the bill.
“I wasn’t surprised that he vetoed it,” Lorigo said. “I guess I was just disappointed. Going to his public hearing as well as the legislature seeing all of the letters of support come in and having only one person at his public hearing speak against it, I just wish he would listen to the will of the people.”
Poloncarz cited safety concerns and hunting accidents in other states, saying, “I come from a family that hunts. My father hunted, my brother hunts, and other members of my family hunt. This is not about being against hunting,” Poloncarz said. “It is about whether I believe it is appropriate for 12- and 13-year-olds to hunt big game, even with a mentor. Because of the risk, and because of the child fatality reports I have read, I do not believe it is.”
“Across the state, over 9,000 hunts have taken place by 12- and 13-year-olds of white-tailed deer and there have been zero incidents and zero injuries,” Lorigo said. “There have been zero license revocations. We know that this program is working statewide.”
Lorigo cited the program’s intensity.
“The extent to which these instructors teach firearm safety, it is such a serious course. There’s homework, hours of practice time,” she said.
Lorigo said passing the course alone does not guarantee a license.
“If they think that one of the youth hunters in front of them just doesn’t have the ability to make decisions, they can deny them even if they pass the test,” she said.
Lorigo said she believes this will be up for a vote once again at their next legislative session on May 28.
“I plan to ask the chairman to move this to a vote to override the veto, and once this law is overridden by the veto of the county executive, it would take effect immediately,” she said. “I think parents should have the right to make this decision. I don’t think Mark Poloncarz should be taking that right way from parents.”