After President Obama unveiled a sweeping proposal to curb gun violence, it received a swift rebuke from groups like the National Rifle Association and the Republican National Committee. Some Florida lawmakers offered their reactions to the news.
Among 23 executive actions, the president’s proposal calls for Congress to pass universal background checks and a ban on assault weapons. Republican Representative Dennis Baxley of Ocala sees the action as an assault on 2nd Amendment rights.
“It seems like we’re just using an opportunity to take law abiding people’s right to own a firearm away. I think we need to face all the cultural issues. We’re cultivating a culture of violence that has nothing to do with a firearm,” Baxley said.
Jacksonville Republican Senator John Thrasher wants a more comprehensive look at school safety measures.
“We ought to take a step back as we’re doing here in the Florida Legislature and looking at what can we really do to make a difference in terms of safety for our children and our schools,” Thrasher said.
Democrats on the other hand said the president unveiled common sense proposals and in a statement US Senator Bill Nelson asked:
“Why in the world would we not want to check to see if a person buying a weapon has a criminal record?”
