Florida lawmakers to introduce gun violence prevention agenda

Announcement to take place Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Florida Capitol Building

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – On Tuesday, state lawmakers will meet in Tallahassee to introduce a new gun violence prevention agenda.

The new legislative agenda comes just before the one-year remembrance of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, and will address gun violence in the state of Florida.

State Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, a Democrat from Orlando, will host the gathering and will be joined by House and Senate Democratic lawmakers, as well as shooting survivors and advocacy groups.

Smith told News 6 the agenda will include bills aimed at banning assault-style weapons and large-capacity magazines, regulating universal criminal background checks for all gun purchases and keeping weapons out of the hands of domestic violence perpetrators.

He said one of the bills will also seek to expand the so-called "red flag law," which allows law enforcement officers to take guns away from those who they believe are violent or mentally ill.

"I don’t know if we'll ever agree 100 percent on these approaches, but what was shown in the Legislature is an ability to work together, to compromise and to keep guns out of the hands of the wrong people," said Rep. Thad Altman, a Republican from Brevard County.

The announcement is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Florida Capitol Building.


About the Authors:

Erik Sandoval joined the News 6 team as a reporter in May 2013 and became an Investigator in 2020. During his time at News 6, Erik has covered several major stories, including the 2016 Presidential campaign. He was also one of the first reporters live on the air at the Pulse Nightclub shooting.

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