Florida Supreme Court to Hear Arguments Related to Local Government Gun Regulations

The Florida Supreme Court will hear arguments next week in a dispute over a 2011 state law that allows for penalties if city and county officials pass gun regulations. The hearing comes amid a ramped up debate over gun laws due to recent mass shootings in Texas and New York.

The case made it to the Supreme Court when a coalition of local governments and Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried filed notices back in June 2021. The notices were the initial steps in asking the Supreme Court to hear the case and came a month after the 1st District Court of Appeal denied a request to send the case to the Supreme Court.

The efforts to get a Supreme Court hearing came after a Tallahassee-based appeals court upheld the constitutionality of the 2011 law in April, 2021

Since 1987, Florida has barred cities and counties from passing regulations that are stricter than state firearms laws, and the penalties in the 2011 law were designed to strengthen that “preemption.”

The law was challenged by local governments and officials who were urged to take action after the February 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland that killed 17 people. However, attorneys for the local governments indicated in  a 2019 court document that the requested actions were not taken up by elected officials due to the potential penalties outlined in the 2011 state law.

The requested actions included such things as requiring procedures or documentation to ensure compliance with background checks and waiting periods for gun purchases and requiring reporting of failed background checks.

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Democrat State Rep Larry Miller Pushed Amendment to Appoint Anti-Gun Activists to All Tennessee Gun Regulation Boards, Commissions

State Representative Larry Miller (D-Memphis) proposed an amendment empowering one of his endorsers, a gun control group, with gun regulation power. Miller withdrew the amendment during the final House vote on the bill, which authorized permitless carry.

The amendment was short and to the point: the governor must appoint a Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America (Moms Demand Action) representative to all boards and commissions regulating firearm ownership.   

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ATF Withdraws Proposed Gun Regulation Manufacturers Say Would Cost Industry $2 Billion After Pressure from Lawmakers

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under pressure from dozens of congressmen, withdrew guidance on a proposed regulation that gun industry leaders warned would cost them billions.

The ATF’s decision to pull its regulation regarding pistol braces follows a cooperative effort from 90 House of Representatives members who demanded the regulatory agency cease its “alarming” determination that “could turn law-abiding gun owners into criminals overnight.”

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Court Decision Pending on Norfolk Second Amendment Preservation Ordinance

The Norfolk 2nd Amendment Preservation Coalition is awaiting the court’s decision on whether they will secure an ordinance or a special election for it. The ordinance would restrict gun ownership regulations.
The 2nd Amendment Preservation Coalition went to court after the COVID-19 shutdowns hindered their ability to collect petition signatures to put the ordinance on the ballot.

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