The state of Florida’s official nickname is The Sunshine State, but gun-loving residents have long called it The Gunshine State. Of course, the state isn’t as pro-gun as some others, but it’s had a fairly solid reputation for some time.

Then Parkland happened.

In the knee-jerk reactionism that followed, the state passed a handful of gun control measures. However, it became clear the voters weren’t interested in more of that.

That hasn’t stopped some from trying. As noted on Wednesday, a bill has been pre-filed to require background checks for ammo purchases.

It seems the state’s Republicans have opinions on the bill.

But Republicans, who currently hold the majority in both chambers, say the bill doesn’t address the real issue and would only punish responsible gun owners.

Anthony Sabatini, a Howey-in-the-Hills Republican who recently filed a bill in the House (HB 6001) that would allow people with concealed-weapons licenses to carry on campus, says Daley’s refiling for the 2021 Legislative Session would expand the role of government and infringe on individuals’ rights.

“It is an absolutely terrible, ineffective, and unnecessary anti-Second Amendment Bill that will result in putting innocent people in jail and creating a hugely expanded police-state with hundreds of new government employees to oversee it,” Sabatini told The Captiolist.

…

While Daley is hopeful that 2021’s version of the bill will pass, State Representative Spencer Roach says there’s no chance his measure will see the light of day.

“There is no ‘ammunition loophole,’” said the retired JAG Officer. “Florida law already prohibits the possession of ammunition by those who are also legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.  This bill is yet another failure to grasp the simple logic that criminals do not follow firearms laws in the first place, meaning that this bill will only serve to penalize law-abiding American citizens who simply want to protect themselves and defend their families.

“Jaime Guttenberg was failed by the ill-conceived ‘Promise Program,’ an incompetent Sheriff, and most of all by coward-cop Scot Peterson, who hid in a stairwell for 48 minutes while 34 people he took a sworn oath to protect were gunned down in a “gun-free” zone,” he continued.

I agree with Roach completely.

Jaime Guttenberg was failed by a lot of things, but it wasn’t the gun laws in the state.

Let’s also remember that the alleged shooter–called “alleged” only because he hasn’t been convicted yet–had multiple encounters with police, including domestic violence calls, yet hadn’t been arrested a single time. Just one domestic violence conviction would have prevented him from ever purchasing a firearm lawfully.

The failures of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office should not be ignored.

Because of those failures, the alleged shooter was able to legally purchase a firearm and ammunition. He passed the freaking background check because the sheriff failed. He’d have passed a background check for ammunition as well.

Honestly, my hope is that this suffers such an ignoble defeat that the effort to restrict gun rights in such a way is never attempted in Florida again. I’m not sure it’ll get that, though, because I’m not sure it’ll ever come up for a vote.

Either way, it’s never going to happen, which is good. Everywhere that has tried it has managed to find out that it’s a complete and total mess.

There are better ways to address violence. It’s well past time for anti-gunners to at least try and listen to them.