A city official thought he’d found a way to ban common semi-auto rifles, misleadingly called “assault weapons,” from the Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Gun Show—a proviso on the lease. That is, until the NRA took up the fight.
Vice Mayor Dean Trantalis tried to skirt state law preventing cities from enacting gun regulations by having guns like AR-15 or AK-47 rifles banned as part of the terms of the lease for renting the city’s War Memorial Auditorium. But when the proposal made the June commission meeting, the National Rifle Association sent a letter cautioning against the passage as it violated state law.
Even City Attorney Cynthia Everett said it wouldn’t get around existing legislation as it “would constitute a rule or regulation of the municipal body, and is therefore prohibited by Florida law.” Christopher Conte, the NRA’s litigation counsel, added, “We hope the city commission keeps this in mind when considering these matters in the future.”
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