Why I am sponsoring four different gun safety bills
As we see yet another school shooting, as we read about yet another family destroyed by gun violence and as we see — day in and day out — death after death after death, I believe someone needs to stand up and say “enough is enough.”
I want to be that someone, and as a sitting state Senator, I feel it is both my duty and obligation to push hard to enact several common-sense gun safety measures that are reasonable, smart, have a chance of becoming law and, most importantly, could save lives.
My first bill is a “ghost guns” bill, a measure that will close the loophole that allows anyone, including children, to purchase parts and kits online that can be used to make a homemade gun. This shady business allows those who cannot legally own or purchase a gun to simply do an end-run around Florida law and order a kit online. Imagine if we said heroin was illegal to own or use (and it is) and yet allowed people to buy the ingredients necessary to make it in their kitchen sink. There would be public outrage, yet just last month a young girl was killed by her brother who sold “ghost guns” made from kits.
My second bill is so clearly commonsense that it defied logic that it is not already the law. This bill would require the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to submit the data of those who are not legally eligible to possess firearms into the Florida Crime Information Center. It will ensure that guns do not end up in the hands of those who are ineligible to own firearms. And to be clear, it doesn’t add a single name to the list of those who are ineligible, it just makes that name easy-to-find so criminals who should not be in possession can’t simply fool the authorities.
And sadly, as we witnessed in this situation in Michigan so recently, my third bill will put clear standards for gun storage in place, so guns do not accidentally end up in the hands of a child. In incidents of gunfire on school grounds, up to 80% of shooters under the age of 18 got the gun from their home or the homes of friends or relatives. Again, it is a simple, common-sense measure to ensure the safe and legal ownership of guns and to prevent one more child from dying as a result of these loopholes and lax standards.
Finally, I am sponsoring another simple loophole-closing bill known as “Jaime’s Law.” It is named after Jaime Guttenberg, who tragically lost her life in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February 2018. Currently in Florida, there are individuals who are legally prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms and ammunition. Jaime’s Law would close the ammo loophole by requiring background checks on ammunition purchases.
It seems that each year, we name a bill for a child who needlessly died in a preventable shooting. I believe it is well past time to draw the line and demand that we not only do everything reasonable to safeguard their lives, we stand up for common-sense reforms that do not restrict lawful and safe gun ownership and so maybe — just maybe — we won’t find ourselves naming bills and passing laws to memorialize deceased Florida children.