Aramis Ayala, Democratic candidate for Florida Attorney General, has released her plan for gun violence and public safety. In general, her plan focuses on “building safe communities” by changing “our words” and “our minds” along with “our actions.” In a state like Florida, Ayala’s gun safety plan will likely be controversial.
“We must acknowledge gun violence as a preventable public health and safety crisis,” Ayala’s plan says. Ayala’s plan also states that “our words” must “stop blindly relating mass shootings to those with criminal and mental health history.”
“What we are seeing is hate!” Ayala added.
As Attorney General, Ayala’s plan would work with federal law enforcement to enforce the Lautenberg Act, which prohibits those convicted of domestic violence from possessing firearms. She also supports a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Ayala wants to increase oversight of gun licensing and sales, and wants to fund community programs like Cease-Fire.
Her plan also supports reversing the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, so that gun manufacturers and dealers can be held liable.
As Florida Attorney General, Ayala said she would work to change “our minds” on the issue of guns through three main topics. First, her plan supports the reversal of the Dickey Amendment, which limits federal funding for research related to gun violence. She also supports increasing public education about the connection between domestic violence and mass shootings. Finally, she wants to expand trauma-related responses to heal communities.
Ayala served as a public defender and Assistant State Attorney for nearly 15 years before being elected State Attorney of Florida’s 9th Judicial Circuit from 2017-2021 – the first Black state attorney in Florida history.
