Florida legislators likely won't hear assault rifle ban bill this session

WASHINGTON (AP) - Less than a week after 17 people were fatally shot at a Florida high school, the state House has voted down a motion to take up a bill that would ban assault rifles, effectively killing the measure for this session.

The motion failed by a 36-71 vote.

As the Florida House opened its session Tuesday, Democratic Rep. Kionne McGhee asked for a procedural move that would have allowed it to consider a bill to ban assault rifles and large capacity magazines. The bill had been assigned to three committees but was not scheduled for a hearing. The committees won't meet again before the legislative session ends March 9.

McGhee said that means the bill would be dead unless the House voted to remove it from the committees and let it be considered by the full House.

Republican leaders in the House and Senate say they will consider proposals including raising age restrictions for gun purchases and the red-flag bill regarding temporarily taking away someone's guns if they are deemed a threat to others.

Below is a breakdown of how Tampa Bay-area members of the state House voted for HB219 (Candidate, party, area of representation):

YAY

Janet Cruz (D – part of Hillsborough) – Yes

Ben Diamond (D – part of Pinellas) – Yes

Margaret Good (D –part of Sarasota) – Yes

Wengay “Newt” Newton (D – parts of Hillsborough, Manatee, Pinellas, Sarasota) – Yes

Sean Shaw (D – part of Hillsborough) – Yes

NAY

Larry Ahren (R – part of Pinellas) – No

Ben Albritton (R – Desoto, Hardee and part of Pol) – No

Jim Boyd (R – parts of Manatee, Sarasota) – No

Danny Wright Burgess, Jr. (R – part of Pasco) – No

Colleen Burton (R – part of Polk) – No

Richard Corcoran (R – part of Pasco) – No

Julio Gonzalez (R – part of Sarasota) – No

James “J.W.” Grant (R – parts of Hillsborough, Pinellas) – No

Joe Gruters (R – parts of Manatee, Sarasota) – No

Shawn Harrison (R – parts of Hillsborough) – No

Blaise Ingoglia (R – part of Hernando) – No

Sam H. Killebrew (R – part of Polk) – No

Mike La Rosa (R – parts of Osceola, Polk) – No

Chris Latvala (R – part of Pinellas) – No

Amber Mariano (R – part of Pasco) – No

Ralph E. Massullo (R – Citrus and part of Hernando) – No

Lawrence McClure (R – part of Hillsborough) – No

Kathleen Peters (R – part of Pinellas) – No

Jake Raburn (R – part of Hillsborough) – No

Ross Spano (R – part of Hillsborough) – No

Chris Sprowls (R – part of Pinellas) – No

Jackie Toledo (R – part of Hillsborough) – No