LBANY, N.Y. - Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, still under attack yesterday from Senate rival Hillary Rodham Clinton for taking money from gun interests, says he favors a sweeping licensing system for firearm owners.
During a two-day campaign trip over the weekend, Giuliani drew applause for his proposal in a largely conservative part of the state.
At a community forum in Watertown, in northern New York, one resident reminded the Republican mayor that many people in the region firmly believe in a constitutional right to bear arms.
''I do not think the government should cut off the right to bear arms,'' Giuliani responded. Nonetheless, the mayor said his position for many years has been that just as a motorist must have a license, a gun owner should be required to have one as well.
According to a tape recording of the meeting, Giuliani said that anyone wanting to own a gun should ''have to pass a written exam that shows they know how to use the gun, that they're intelligent enough and responsible enough to handle a gun.''
Asked if he felt both handguns and rifle owners should be licensed, Giuliani said, ''We're talking about all dangerous weapons.''
The first lady has also called for a licensing system for handgun purchasers.
The mayor also said he supports Governor George Pataki's gun-control proposals unveiled last week. The Pataki plan would require ballistic records on all handguns sold in New York and mandatory trigger locks for them. Pataki has also proposed to raise the legal gun purchase age to 21, up from 18, and require instant background checks on purchasers at gun shows and flea markets.
The mayor's gun-control statements in Jefferson County came just hours before the Clinton campaign attacked him for taking $1,000 from Bushmaster Firearms, a contribution that was listed by the Giuliani Senate campaign as coming from the head of ''Bushmaster Farms.'' The mayor said he did not know anything about the contribution or who had given it.
The mayor also came under fire from Clinton for taking a $1,000 contribution from Charlton Heston, the actor who is also president of the National Rifle Association.
