TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (The News Service of Florida) - Putting gun control at the top of his to-do list, Democratic Florida Gubernatorial candidate Philip Levine said Tuesday he'll push a ban on assault weapons, including a ballot referendum, if necessary, should he be elected governor.
Speaking to the Capital City Tiger Bay Club, Levine rattled off a list of accomplishments he says he achieved during eight years as mayor of Miami Beach, including addressing climate change, cleaning up the city's police department, and passing the state's only minimum-wage ordinance which was later struck down by the courts.
When asked what his priorities would be if elected Florida's next governor, Levine said a ban on assault weapons would be at the top of his list.
If the Republican-controlled Legislature won't approve the ban, Levine says he would back an initiative to put the prohibition on the 2020 ballot.
"I'm going to make sure that we have a referendum. That referendum is going to say, number one, do you want to ban assault rifles in Florida?" said Levine. "And, number two, if we can't get Tallahassee to do what we need them to do, would you like the local governments in Florida to have the right and ability to regulate their own gun safety policy? I believe Floridians will say absolutely yes."
Levine is in a hotly contested primary against Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, former U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Graham, and Orlando entrepreneur Chris King to capture the Democratic nomination in the race to succeed Governor Rick Scott, who can't seek re-election due to term limits.
