As today’s Q-poll shows a drop in approval for Gov. Andrew Cuomo following the passage of New York’s sweeping gun control law, Senate Republicans are considering chapter amendments to alter the measure, Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos said.

“I think part of the drop is about guns and I think we’ll shortly be discussing perhaps chapter amendments to change the bill around a bit,” Skelos said. “I don’t think there will be dramatic changes, but some changes to the bill. I’m not going to get into specifics, but certainly there will be changes.”

The measure, which Skelos voted in favor of, includes an updated ban on assault weapons and a reduction in the number of rounds allowed in a magazine. There are also new requirements for registring certain firearms.

But Senate Republicans, now in a governing coalition with five independent Democrats, were able to negotiate provisions that included a strengthening of criminal laws and exempt pistol permit registries from the Freedom of Information Law.

After the law passed, some lawmakers pointed to areas that needed clarifications, including carve-out language to exempt law enforcement officers. At the time, there was the suggestion that the chapter amendments would pass quickly, but they are yet to be taken up in either chamber.

Still, several GOP lawmakers in the conference are circulating petitions to have portions of the law repealed, and the state’s Conservative Party — a significant factor in Republican state politics — has complained the Republican leadership in the chamber has been too accomodating to Cuomo over the last two years on a variety of liberal issues.

Skelos this week re-affirmed his opposition to the Reproductive Health Act, first at the Conservaitve Party’s annual conference in Colonie and the next day with reporters. Skelos said the RHA virtually allows for partial-birth abortion, while supporters contend it merely updates the state’s current abortion laws.

The RHA is part of Cuomo’s overall legislative package to emnhance women’s rights, which include a pay equity measure and a clamp down on domestic violence.

Cuomo today in the Red Room dismissed the criticism of the abortion measure, saying with Skelos sitting next to him that a discussion on the propsoal hadn’t been had with the Republican leader.

“We haven’t discuss the issue. We have many issues to discuss,” Cuomo said. ”I’m sure that we will agree on some, we’ll disagree on some. If we do our jobs properly at the end of the day we’ll come up with a package that we can agree on and move forward on.”

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