CIVIL RIGHTS UPDATE: Florida Local Officials Face Threat Of Removal From Office Over Gun Rules.

Under Florida law, city and county officials face penalties for violating the state’s prohibition on local gun ordinances. After that provision was enacted three years ago, gun rights advocates have filed several lawsuits against local governments and individual commissioners—including in Florida’s capital city.

Since the mid-80s, Florida law has said local governments can’t restrict gun use—only the state can. Second Amendment advocates say the preemption of local rules prevents a confusing patchwork of regulations for gun owners. Florida Carry Executive Director Sean Caranna explains it’s the same principal keeping local governments from enacting their own traffic rules.

“You can’t drive into the city of Tallahassee and say, ‘Well, instead of having red lights, we’re going to have blue lights,’” he says.

But he says despite the long-standing state law, about 300 local jurisdictions kept gun restrictions on the books with no repercussions until recently.

We need more repercussions for lawless action by government officials at all levels.