by Jake Dima
The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday struck down an amendment that would ban the ownership of assault weapons due to misleading wording.
Ban Assault Weapons Now, which prohibited the “possession of assault weapons,” banned magazines holding more than 10 rounds and mandated registration for these guns, was set to appear on the 2022 ballot. However, justices voted 4-1 to ensure this doesn’t happen, according to the Washington Examiner.
Justices called the initiative — developed after the deadly Parkland, Florida, high school shooting in February 2018 — “affirmatively misleading,” as it does “not categorically exempt the assault weapon, only the current owner’s possession of that assault weapon,” according to court documents obtained by ABC News.
Justice Jorge Labarga was the sole voice of dissent in the ruling, saying that the 75-word limit on the initiatives is sufficient to understand the details of the bill.
“The ballot title and summary provide fair notice and equip voters to educate themselves about the details of the Initiative,” Labarga wrote, according to ABC. “Consequently, the Initiative should be placed on the ballot.”
The National Rifle Association called the ruling an “NRA VICTORY” on Thursday.
NRA VICTORY: Florida Supreme Court Rejects Semi-Auto Gun Ban Ballot Initiative
— NRA (@NRA) June 4, 2020
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Jake Dima is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Florida Supreme Court Justices” by The Florida Supreme Court.
