ORLANDO, Fla. – In response to the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida Senator Linda Stewart said she wants to curb gun violence with a bill introduced Thursday that would ban the sale of civilian versions of military grade assault rifles and ammunition in Florida.
Stewart, along with Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, who introduced the house bill, announced the filings while in Orlando, saying the legislation was a promise to the families, victims and survivors of the Pulse shooting in June.
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If passed in the Florida House and Senate, the legislation would prevent the sale of weapons designed to deliver high rates of semiautomatic ammunition, according to the news release.
House Bill 167 would “prohibit sale or transfer of assault weapon or large capacity ammunition magazine.”
“There is no legitimate reason whatsoever to own these types of weapons,” Smith said. “We’re not taking anybody’s guns away, and we’re not infringing on anybody’s right to hunt or protect themselves in their home.”
Sen. Gary Farmer, who co-sponsored Senate Bill 254 and House Bill 167, said in a news release that had a ban been in place, it would have prevented Orlando shooter Omar Mateen from purchasing the materials needed to kill 49 people and injure more than 50 others on June 12.
“This has to stop,” Farmer said. “This bill would ensure that dangerous weapons with no connection to hunting or sportsmanship may not be purchased in Florida.”
Anyone possessing the banned weapon or ammunition could face criminal charges, according to the bill.
The assault weapons ban would not apply to guns already purchased in Florida.