St. Petersburg councilman wants to ban assault rifles in city, urges state and US to follow

WFTS (Tampa, Fla.) ^ | 05/30/2011 | Don Germaise

[neverdem]

Will seek weapons ban at city council meeting

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - There is no room for assault rifles in St. Petersburg, city council member Steve Kornell said. He wants the semi-automatic and automatic weapons banned.

Kornell will ask fellow city council members at a meeting this week to ban assault weapons in the city. Kornell also wants a resolution asking the state and federal government to follow suit. "I think it's an issue whose time has come," said Kornell. "I think most people get why you can't have military assault weapons."

The proposal comes after three St. Petersburg police officers have been shot dead this year, none with an assault weapon. However in 2009, eight-year-old Paris Whitehead-Hamilton was accidentally killed when her home was sprayed with more than 50 rounds from assault weapons. Police say the gunmen were after someone else in the home.

"I believe in the Constitution and this is not about taking away anybody's rights," said Kornell. "But people do not have a right to own a personal military assault weapon."

St. Petersburg Police Chief Chuck Harmon agrees. "Assault rifles are meant basically to kill human beings," said Harmon. "There are no other uses for them."

Gun owners like Earl Rhodes agree with the chief, but still want to own assault weapons. "If I'm in a situation where I need to protect my family, I don't want a single shot shotgun when I can have an assault weapon to do it with," said Rhodes. Rhodes owns two SKS assault rifles.

[John S Mosby]

You can bet that the Scientologists in St. Pete WILL be allowed to keep their assault weapons. There is a lot of them there in politics, and of course, in Clearwater.

[redgolum]

They smell an obama victory, and want to lay the ground work of a weapons ban. Though this is really close to the election cycle for this kind of thing.

[John S Mosby]

Florida firearms laws are clear. State law for carry and ownership supersede any municipality. Comments,FL freepers?

[Emperor Palpatine]

In Pittsburgh we have a word for guys like Steve Kornell....

[Gritty]

"I believe in the Constitution and this is not about taking away anybody's rights," said Kornell King George III. "But people subjects do not have a right to own a personal military assault weapon."

There. What's the difference?

[Ham Hock]

I’m going to have to get me one of the Glock & Wessons.

[MileHi]

Gun owners like Earl Rhodes agree with the chief, but still want to own assault weapons. "If I'm in a situation where I need to protect my family, I don't want a single shot shotgun when I can have an assault weapon to do it with," said Rhodes. Rhodes owns two SKS assault rifles.

Ummm....

[longtermmemmory]

florida statute 790.33 Field of regulation of firearms and ammunition preempted.—(1) PREEMPTION.—Except as expressly provided by general law, the Legislature hereby declares that it is occupying the whole field of regulation of firearms and ammunition, including the purchase, sale, transfer, taxation, manufacture, ownership, possession, and transportation thereof, to the exclusion of all existing and future county, city, town, or municipal ordinances or regulations relating thereto. Any such existing ordinances are hereby declared null and void. This subsection shall not affect zoning ordinances which encompass firearms businesses along with other businesses. Zoning ordinances which are designed for the purpose of restricting or prohibiting the sale, purchase, transfer, or manufacture of firearms or ammunition as a method of regulating firearms or ammunition are in conflict with this subsection and are prohibited. (2) LIMITED EXCEPTION; COUNTY WAITING-PERIOD ORDINANCES.— ----snip as exceprt----- (3) POLICY AND INTENT.— (a) It is the intent of this section to provide uniform firearms laws in the state; to declare all ordinances and regulations null and void which have been enacted by any jurisdictions other than state and federal, which regulate firearms, ammunition, or components thereof; to prohibit the enactment of any future ordinances or regulations relating to firearms, ammunition, or components thereof unless specifically authorized by this section or general law; and to require local jurisdictions to enforce state firearms laws. (b) As created by chapter 87-23, Laws of Florida, this section shall be known and may be cited as the “Joe Carlucci Uniform Firearms Act.”

[SpaceBar]

Criminals of course are exempt from this proposal and can rest easy that their profession will remain unaffected.

[neverdem]

BANG! Reviving the so-called "assault" weapon meme in the battleground state of Florida, the state that kicked off shall issue, concealed carry privileges over two decades ago? This makes no sense, especially considering their tactics when they controlled the Congress. I smell desperation.

[longtermmemmory]

repost with paragraphs:

florida statute 790.33 Field of regulation of firearms and ammunition preempted.—

(1) PREEMPTION.—Except as expressly provided by general law, the Legislature hereby declares that it is occupying the whole field of regulation of firearms and ammunition, including the purchase, sale, transfer, taxation, manufacture, ownership, possession, and transportation thereof, to the exclusion of all existing and future county, city, town, or municipal ordinances or regulations relating thereto. Any such existing ordinances are hereby declared null and void. This subsection shall not affect zoning ordinances which encompass firearms businesses along with other businesses. Zoning ordinances which are designed for the purpose of restricting or prohibiting the sale, purchase, transfer, or manufacture of firearms or ammunition as a method of regulating firearms or ammunition are in conflict with this subsection and are prohibited.

(2) LIMITED EXCEPTION; COUNTY WAITING-PERIOD ORDINANCES.

— ----snip as exceprt-----

(3) POLICY AND INTENT.—

(a) It is the intent of this section to provide uniform firearms laws in the state; to declare all ordinances and regulations null and void which have been enacted by any jurisdictions other than state and federal, which regulate firearms, ammunition, or components thereof; to prohibit the enactment of any future ordinances or regulations relating to firearms, ammunition, or components thereof unless specifically authorized by this section or general law; and to require local jurisdictions to enforce state firearms laws.

(b) As created by chapter 87-23, Laws of Florida, this section shall be known and may be cited as the “Joe Carlucci Uniform Firearms Act.”

[RandallFlagg]

Last week, I did a bunch of legwork research, asking Class 3 folks about full auto and silencers. What a gigantic pain it is to get these things!!!

[MileHi]

The purpose of the 2nd Amendment is to give people "a right to own a personal military assault weapon" because the people are the militia.

2A "gives" nothing. It recognizes something that already existed.

[longtermmemmory]

if passed this ordinance is void as a matter of law.

see post 32

[WOBBLY BOB]

I own both a country and a city assault rifle. The city one is especially evil.

[thethirddegree]

I think when they take them away from out-of-control SWAT thugs first they can think about banning them for the rest of the population.

[MileHi]

Good. Thanks

[Cboldt]

He agrees that assault weapons are effective defense weapons.

[NWFLConservative]

The resemblance is remarkable........with my sincere apologies to Ray Bolger, who was actually a very intelligent and talented man