SB 462/HB 579 take action towards ending gun violence
Orlando, FL— Senator Lori Berman (D-Boca Raton) and Representative Anna V. Eskamani (D-Orlando) have filed SB 462 / HB 579, legislation that would ban assault weapons and large-capacity magazines in Florida.
Just days after another mass shooting killed 18 in Lewiston, this legislation lists assault-rifle models that would be banned if passed in an effort to curb increasing instances of gun violence. In 2023, death rates from firearms have risen to over 35,000, with mass shootings surpassing 560 incidents. From a hospital in Atlanta, to a Lunar New Year Celebration in Monterey Park, the deadliest shooting in Los Angeles County history, & from an elementary school in Nashville, to a college campus at Michigan State University where students sheltered in place for over four hours, climbing out of broken windows to escape to safety, the gun violence epidemic has touched the lives of 1 in 5 Americans. The white racist shooter that murdered three Black Floridians in Jacksonville this year was also armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun – which were both legally purchased.
“Mass shootings using assault weapons continue to occur with increased frequency in the United States and Florida,” said Senator Lori Berman. “There is no sane rationale for allowing a weapon designed for military use to be sold to a civilian in Florida.”
Cited in the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, it is reported that of all mass shootings incidents between 2009 and 2018, assault weapons were responsible for 25% of the deaths and 76% of non-fatal injuries. Further, they cited that researchers estimate that if we still had an Assault Weapons Ban (H.R.1808), we would have 70 percent less mass shooting deaths. Additionally, a recent Gallup Poll found that over half of Americans support an assault weapons ban. (Alternatively, a recent fox news poll found that 6 in 10 Americans support an assault weapons ban).
The list of banned weapons in SB 462/HB 579 includes the weapon used in the tragic shooting at Pulse Nightclub, located in Orlando, Representative Anna V. Eskamani’s district. The shooting was one of the worst in modern U.S history when 49 people were killed, the majority of whom were LGBTQ+ and young people of color.
“I am proud to call Orlando home and every day, I am committed to honoring those we’ve lost through action. The reality is, the majority of Floridians believe in these basic restrictions if it means keeping our kids, our friends, and our communities safe. This isn’t a partisan culture war, it’s a public health emergency and if we don’t pass this legislation, more lives in Florida will be lost.” Eskamani said.
###