TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Hired lobbyists will start advocating for gun reform laws at the Capitol in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., come next legislative session, based on a new addition to Leon County Commissioners' list of legislative priorities.
- Lobbyists will advocate for gun reform laws like universal background checks, secure gun storage, mandatory reporting for lost and stolen guns, and expand who can issue an Extreme Risk Protection Order.
- ABC 27 has reported numerous shootings in 2025, including a mass shooting at Florida State University in April. We formally requested data from both the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and the Tallahassee Police Department for real-time numbers.
- Watch the video below to hear why Commissioner David O’Keefe urged his colleagues to consider the priority.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Leon County is hoping to create change within county lines and beyond as it seeks to advocate for more gun reform.
It’s hiring lobbyists in Washington, D.C., and in Tallahassee to push for the creation laws at the state and federal level.
“Policy is limited with gun reform efforts locally because the state has preempted it. That's why we're sort of limited to our action being advocating at that level,” O’Keefe said.
Commissioner David O’Keefe sparked the conversation, sending a letter to commissioners after talking with the Tallahassee chapter of Moms Demand Action.
Read the full letter from Commissioner David O'Keefe below:
Group Lead Rosie Keween says it’s something the national organization has advocated for since its creation 2012.
Their goal is to create stronger protections to prevent gun violence.
“We have people from all walks of life, including gun owners, and we're not anti-gun, but we are wanting to ensure that guns are properly used and secured,” Keween said. “It's a matter of improving the safety in our communities.”
According to Florida Department of Law Enforcement data, there have been at least 175 weapons law offenses reported in Tallahassee this year.
ABC 27 has also reported on multiple shootings this year, including a mass shooting at Florida State University in April and a shooting on Aenon Church Trail Wednesday.
“It is a public health epidemic, and it is no longer a matter of if there will be another shooting; it's a matter of when until we change what we're doing,” O’Keefe said.
What commissioners want lobbyists to advocate for: universal background checks, secure gun storage laws, a requirement for gun owners to report lost and stolen guns, and extreme risk protection orders or red flag laws, which grant a judge the ability to temporarily restrict firearm access to an individual that is showing a high risk that they will harm themselves or others.
Right now, current law allows police to initiate the process and doesn’t require a background check if buying a gun from an unlicensed or private seller.
“I hope that they are able to get the attention of legislators and, you know, get them to take these issues seriously,” Keween said.
But there is some concern from commissioners about whether the action could impact receiving state funds from the legislature.
Both the state’s House and Senate are controlled by Republicans.
“Well, I can say right here in the microphone, I support common-sense gun safety reform. Making it a legislative priority, I think, is counterproductive to our ability to actually receive appropriations, to actually get traction on the other issues that we find important. It’s just antagonistic of a legislature and a capitol that we know aren’t going to receive this issue in any way, shape, or form,” Commissioner Brian Welch said during a workshop meeting Tuesday.
O’Keefe says lobbying will start when session begins here in the state and in D.C. Those sessions will begin in January 2026 for Florida.
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