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This week is National Gun Violence Survivors Week. Elected officials met with loved ones of victims of gun violence to discuss Florida’s increasingly weak gun laws.
Jonny Johnson started the non-profit Rise Up for Peace. He lost his 17-year-old son to gun violence seven years ago.
“Every aspect of our lives has been contaminated by the senseless gun violence, whether it’s at school, going to a place of worship, or just going to a grocery story to pick up a bite to eat.”
Johnson joined Karel Boonstoppel, who also lost his son to gun violence during a shooting in Ybor City last year. They spoke with Florida House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell and Congress member Kathy Castor on gun control efforts in government.
Castor voted for Biden’s Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which provided millions in funding to curb gun violence.
“It provided substantial new resources to states and communities for risk protection, orders for drug courts, for crisis intervention – but here’s the kicker: Governor DeSantis did not draw down those dollars.”
She saw that as a negative.
“He now has built a record on making our lives less safe and making our state more dangerous.”
On the state level, Driskell gave an update on state Democrats’ progress.
“Unfortunately, none of our common sense gun ownership bills or common sense gun reform bills have received a hearing, even though we have been very thoughtful in crafting this legislation and making sure we are approaching this in a bipartisan and common sense way.”
Last year, Governor DeSantis signed a law allowing Floridians to carry a concealed weapon without a government permit.
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