Florida State Senator Linda Stewart and State Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith have unveiled proposed legislation to ban the sale of assault-style weapons and large-capacity magazines in Florida.
Both lawmakers, and other advocates for the measure, spoke at a news conference Wednesday.
The news conference was held by the Florida Coalition To Prevent Gun Violence.
Stewart and Smith stressed that when they introduced similar bills last year, the legislature gave it no discussion and no hearing.
"They said it’s just too early to talk about limits on assault weapons," Stewart said.
She added that the legislation she filed closely followed the Pulse nightclub shooting.
On June 12, 2016, 49 people were killed and 58 wounded at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando.
Sunday night, 58 people were killed and more than 500 injured at a concert in Las Vegas.
Angel Santiago, Jr., who was wounded at Pulse, told those attending the news conference that he’s not against the Second Amendment but said we can’t let mass shootings become our new normal.
Santiago urged everyone to contact their legislators and plead for the proposed ban.
Stewart noted that she didn't hold out much hope for her legislation to be passed, but did say she hoped that current events would at least ensure a hearing for it.