TO: Mayor and Commissioners
FROM: R. Max Lohman, City Attorney
THROUGH: Mark R. Lauzier, City Manager
DATE: March 16, 2018
Title
RESOLUTION NO. 15-18: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA, CALLING ON THE STATE OF FLORIDA, GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA AND HELP PREVENT FUTURE SHOOTINGS BY BANNING MILITARY-STYLE WEAPONS AND HIGH CAPACITY MAGAZINES; REQUIRING A RIGOROUS BACKGROUND CHECK FOR EVERY FIREARM SALE; SUPPORTING RAISING THE AGE FOR LEGAL PURCHASE OF FIREARMS, MAGAZINES AND AMMUNITION TO 21; SUPPORTING THE PASSAGE OF COMPREHENSIVE LAWS TO ADDRESS THE GROWING CONCERNS ASSOCIATED WITH GUN VIOLENCE; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
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Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Motion to approve Resolution No. 15-18 requesting legislation to reduce gun violence to help prevent future gun-related tragedies in our community.
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Background:
On February 14, 2018, a mass shooting occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida, killing 17 students, teachers and coaches and wounding several others. An increase in the amount of hate groups, international and lone wolf domestic terrorism, underfunded community mental health programs, and easy access to military grade, high capacity magazine assault weapons have created circumstances which have led to an unprecedented number of mass shootings in American communities in recent years
This Resolution supports strengthened gun laws meant to protect our community. It specifically requests that federal and state officials adopt legislation that would ban assault weapons, military-style weapons, and high capacity magazines. It requests legislation that would require all firearms sellers to perform a universal background check of a purchaser's criminal history together with mental history before completing the sale or transfer of firearms, require all sales and transfers of firearms be conducted through a licensed firearms dealer in order to close loopholes that allows private sellers to skirt this restriction, and at the very least, require all private sellers to conduct background checks through a central law enforcement agency that has access to federal and state databases of prohibited purchasers. Finally, it asks State legislators to adopt proposed Red Flag Laws, raise the lawful age to purchase firearms from 18 to 21, and repeal draconian punishments of elected officials under Fla. Stat. section 790.33.
City Attorney Review:
Approved as to form and legal sufficiency.