Amanda Fries is reporting for the Times Union a federal judge August 14, dismissed a lawsuit filed by the National Rifle Association against the state of New York and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo over the closure of gun shops at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. The NRA argued in the complaint it filed in early April that the closure of the state’s gun shops during the pandemic amounted to “a pointless and arbitrary attack on the constitutional rights of New York citizens and residents.” U.S. District Court Judge Mae A. D’Agostino determined the NRA failed to prove that fielding calls and questions from members following the state’s decision to shutter gun shops caused a “perceptible impairment," and said the non-profit failed to provide specific facts to support its assertions. In its original complaint, the NRA claimed the state’s decision to not include gun shops, weapon distributors and shooting ranges in its list of essential businesses violated the Second, Fifth and Fourteenth amendments. Richard Azzopardi, a spokesman for Cuomo, applauded the court’s decision. “It’s no surprise that yet another frivolous suit by the NRA has been laughed out of court,” he said. “Their brand of destructive political games are bad enough in normal times and are completely beyond the pale during the pandemic.” NRA officials were not available for comment. Read the full story in the Times Union.