Bowing, groveling before the NRA

The adoration of rules was a pretext for yet another abasement to the National Rifle Association, which is suing the state in federal court over the modest gun reforms the Legislature passed in response to the Valentine’s Day massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

Only six of the 37 commissioners hold elected offices that would make them sensitive to the gun lobby, but most were appointed by Republican politicians who are . ...

Making the case for the strongest of the [the three amendments] — a ban on the possession and sale of assault weapons and highcapacity magazines — Commissioner Hank Coxe noted that Florida had done nothing in the two years since a terrorist used them to murder 49 people at an Orlando nightclub. Now, it was in question whether the murder of 14 children and three adults at a public high school would move the mountain. Or whether public opinion would matter, either. In a recent poll, 73 percent of respondents wanted to vote on an assault weapons ban and 64 percent would vote yes.

In debate, Coxe exposed hypocrisy on the part of commissioners who said gun controls weren’t a proper subject for constitutional revision. He cited earlier votes to ban greyhound racing and support victims of crime.

“The legacy of the CRC is, as we stand here now given the germanity issue, that we worry about victim’s rights in Marsy’s Law, that we worry about the greyhounds, but, because of adherence to this rule, we do not worry about reducing the number of people murdered in the state of Florida,” Coxe said. “Forget germanity. Just waive the rules.”