Justice
Florida Cities' New Tactic in the Fight for Gun Reform
After the Parkland shooting, cities wanted to control gun use in their communities, only to be stalled by harsh preemption laws. Now, they're suing the state.
After the February 14 shooting in Parkland, Florida, which took 17 lives and spurred nationwide protests, the mayor of Coral Gables, Florida, was prepared to act. Raul Valdés-Fauli asked the city’s attorney general to draft a complete ban on assault weapons “capable of fully automatic, semiautomatic or burst fire,” including the AR-15 used by the Parkland killer, within city limits.
But the attorney advised Valdés-Fauli against proposing such an ordinance. The state’s retaliation would be too fierce, he was told.