The mass shooting in Las Vegas that left nearly 60 dead has renewed the call for stricter gun laws.
- Democratic leaders want to have discussion about gun legislation
- Republicans want to wait until investigation into Las Vegas shooting is done
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In Orlando on Wednesday, state lawmakers are expected to propose gun control legislation.
Democrats State Sen. Linda Stewart and State Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith plan to announce their measure at a news conference Wednesday.
“Last year I filed legislation for gun safety, and again this year I re-filed this legislation, SB196, for the 2018 session,” Stewart said in a statement. “The bill in 2017 did not get one committee hearing. I am pressuring our State Senate leadership to allow this year’s bill to have a hearing, or at the very least, a workshop. Any avenue to bring this up for public discussion in a formal public setting.”
The two Democrats filed the legislation last year following the attack at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando by Omar Mateen. Their measure would ban the sale of assault-style weapons and large-capacity magazines.
After failing in this year’s session, Stewart is hopeful the tragedy in Las Vegas will spark a new discussion on gun control in Florida.
Nationally, lawmakers are also having the same debate.
"We've got to put humanity over our politics. The extremism in our politics is driving us apart, and we've got to come together," said Florida Sen. Bill Nelson (D).
"This epidemic of gun violence is a uniquely American problem. It doesn't happen in any other industrialized country,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D) of Connecticut.
Some Senate leaders seem skeptical of making it more difficult to purchase guns in the U.S.
“Look, the investigation has not even been completed and I think it’s premature to be discussing legislative solutions, if there are any,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R).
Some say the issue is not with the guns, but with mental health.
Sanford firearms instructor Chuck Powers say it is up to everyone to prevent another tragedy from happening.
“We really as a society need to focus on people around us, who start showing symptoms of depression, or hate issues that would stem this type of violence,” said Powers.