Caucus promises to attach their gun safety amendments to any viable legislation
The Senate Democratic Caucus on Wednesday unanimously agreed to push for an assault weapons ban, and vowed that they would seek to attach their gun safety amendments to any viable legislation as the 2018 legislative session hurtles to an end.
“The one single thing each and every one of these killings had in common was access to and possession of an assault rifle, a military weapon of war that has been repeatedly turned on our own children and citizens,” said Senate Democratic Leader Oscar Braynon (D-Miami Gardens), adding that the majority of mass shootings involving assault rifles were committed by individuals over the age of 21, and not every perpetrator was officially classified as mentally ill.
“So long as assault rifles like the AR-15 are legally sold in this state, so long as they are not banned, their threat to civilians will remain in every school, every mall, every movie theater, every nightclub, and in every place the public gathers.”
The gun safety measures filed by Democrats, including SB 196, a ban on assault weapons, have been bottled up in the committee process while pro-gun measures have been moving through the Senate. This week was the first time pro-gun bills were pulled from consideration, one week after the massacre at Stoneman Douglas High School.
With no guarantee that these controversial measures will remain off the table, Senate Democrats said that they are ready to file their assault weapons ban and other gun safety bills as amendments should they reappear.
These amendments include:
- SB 196 Assault Weapons Ban
- SB 218 Trigger Locks
- SB 838 Sale & Delivery Through Licensed Dealer
- SB 456 Bump Stock Ban
- SB 1476 Firearms Registry
- SB 400 Mental Health Screening
- SB 530 Risk Protection Order
The 2018 legislative session is scheduled to conclude on March 9th, 2018.
