A bill that was introduced in the Florida state legislature last week would require residents interested in purchasing ammunition for their firearms to attend anger management courses before they can make the purchase.
If passed, Senate Bill 1678 would require citizens to show certification that he or she took a two-hour online or in-person anger management course before purchasing ammunition. The person would only have to take the test once every 10 years, however.
Democratic state Sen. Audrey Gibson, who introduced the bill last week, hopes that the bill will make people think twice before buying ammo.
“This is not about guns,” Gibson told Fox News. “This is about ammunition and not only for the safety of the general community, but also for the safety of law enforcement.”
She added that she was primarily concerned with people stockpiling ammunition, despite the fact that the bill doesn’t include any restrictions on the amount of ammunition an individual can buy once they complete the anger management course.
“It’s about getting people to think, really, about how much ammunition they need,” Gibson said. “It’s a step, I think, in a safer direction. It’s about getting people to think before they buy.”
Gibson’s bill would also implement a three-day waiting period before people can purchase a gun.
Paul Rukab, owner of St. Nicholas Gun and Sporting Goods in Jacksonville, thinks that Gibson’s legislation is the most stupid bill he’s “ever heard” of and that it would slow down his business.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous. It’s not going to help anybody,” Rukab told First Coast News. “Most people get angry they don’t go out and shoot anybody. It’s common sense.”
Sean Caranna, the executive director of Florida Carry, a pro-gun non-profit, though it was a joke when he first learned of the legislation. “They’re trying to say that anyone who owns a gun or shoots a gun or has ammunition for it needs counseling and obviously has some anger problems,” he told Fox News.
