Miami Times staff report
With the recent horrific shootings in Miami-Dade County and throughout the country, Commissioner Barbara
JORDAN
Jordan urged her fellow colleagues to support several measures that would toughen gun control laws. Fed up with senseless killings, Commissioner Jordan identified six legislative items that targeted semi-automatic assault weapons to limiting the amount of ammunition that can be purchased.
“I cannot sit idly by and watch our children become victims of gun violence on a daily basis,” said Commissioner Jordan. “This issue is directly on my radar and I am working with law enforcement to address these issues. However, I need my colleagues on the Commission to join me in this effort”
While Commissioner Jordan proposed six resolutions, five passed the Commission on Wednesday, Jan. 23.
Those included:
1) Resolution urging the Florida Legislature to increase the penalty for possession of an AK-47 or other semi-automatic assault weapon during commission of a felony.
2) Resolution urging the Florida Legislature to increase criminal penalties for the use of assault weapon ammunition during the commission of a felony.
3) Resolution urging the U.S. Congress and the Florida Legislature to ban the possession of high capacity ammunition magazines by individuals who are not law enforcement and to require identification markings on newly manufactured high capacity magazines.
4) Resolution urging the U.S. Congress and the Florida Legislature to require any purchaser of ammunition, except a law enforcement officer, to provide a driver’s license or other picture identification.
5) Resolution urging the U.S. Congress to require mandatory background checks of the purchasers of firearms from any licensed or unlicensed vendor or at gun shows.
“This is an ongoing charge for my office,” said Commissioner Jordan. “I refuse to accept the notion that ‘guns don’t kill, people do.’ That type of attitude only perpetuates the problem. I’m looking for solutions to gun violence, not excuses.”
In October 2012, Commissioner Jordan met with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, State Attorney’s Office, City of Miami Gardens Police, Miami-Dade Police, and local officials to discuss initiatives to work alongside the community to address violent crime.
Jeremy Snell
February 1, 2013 at 12:30 pm
I’ve been reading & listening to alot of debates about the assault weapon ban situation & deem it necessary to comment on this matter. I am in agreeance with some of the things Miss Jordan pointed out in this article(stiffer gun laws,stiffer penalties for people using guns to commit felonies,deeper background checks especially at guns shows ect). But I don’t agree that honest, responsible, licensed citizens in America should not be able to own assault weapons. The fact is, & it is a fact is that guns don’t kill people, people kill people!!! A gun can’t fire it self, that’s a fact. Also banning assault weapons will not slow crime down. Let’s be realistic for a moment. Do we honestly believe that if the bann on assault weapons was to pass that people with these guns leagally or illeagally will turn their assault weapons in, for the most part no they won’t. If you check alot of the gun stores now, the assault weapons that they had at one point are now all gone. People, because of a possible ban on these weapons are buying them up & the ammo for them so again do you think banning them will slow down crime, no it will not. The only way you can possibly slow the crime down concerning these assault weapons will be limiting or not selling the ammo for these weapons leagally. But again, the responsible,licensed citizens of this country who choose to purchase these assault weapons legally shouldn’t have to suffer because of what criminals are doing illegally with these same weapons. That’s not right. Lastly lets remember all of the mass shootings that took place in this country were not all done with assault weapons, some were done with hand pistals as well. This is just my thoughts on this matter. God Bless…..