Did you know that Pinecrest used to have an ordinance on the books banning guns from our parks? It’s gone now; cities were preempted by the legislature in 2011 from passing local gun control measures. Today, if someone wanders down to the playground at Evelyn Greer Park with an AR-15 in his hand, there’s nothing our police can do to stop him. Our legislators up in Tallahassee did that to us. Do you feel safer now?
In the wake of the Parkland massacre, our community has been asking questions of our municipal leaders, schools and local police. You want to know what we’re doing to keep you and your children safe. The answer is, “As much as we can.” Our police have all the equipment and training they need to deal with an active shooter, and I have every confidence that if the unthinkable should happen here, our police force will do its duty. Our schools are working fervently with the MDCPS administration and local PTAs to make our campuses as safe as they can be. The Village of Pinecrest Council has passed a resolution urging the legislature to pass common-sense gun control measures like requiring comprehensive background checks for all gun sales, banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and lifting the preemption of municipal governments from acting on behalf of their residents when it comes to gun control. We also voted to join the lawsuit initiated by the City of Weston seeking to have the penalties against municipal elected officials who pass gun control measures found invalid.
Your village council is ready to act. Your police are ready to act. Your schools are ready to act. The question that remains is, are you?
If you live east of 67 AVE in the Village of Pinecrest, you live in Florida House Seat 114. You were not represented during this last legislative session because our representative, Daisy Baez, resigned after having been found to be living outside the district and then to have perjured herself about that fact. On May 1, there will be a special election to elect her replacement. Democrat Javier Fernandez and Republican Andrew Vargas are vying for the seat. What are their positions on common-sense gun control legislation? How would they vote on the issues of municipal preemption? If you can’t answer those questions, I urge you to inform yourself and then vote your conscience.
If you live west of 67 AVE in the Village of Pinecrest, you live in Florida House Seat 115. Your current representative Michael Bileca is term-limited out of his seat, and so he cannot run for reelection in November. There are several Republicans vying for the party nomination and a couple of Democrats, too. The primary for that seat will be held this August, and the general election will be in November. What are their positions on common-sense gun control legislation? How would they vote on matters of preemption? Again, if you can’t answer those questions, I urge you to inform yourself and vote.
Our residents ask a lot of their elected officials, teachers and police. That’s good. We enjoy helping you and your family learn, grow, play, and work in a wonderful hometown. The Village of Pinecrest Council advocates for you every day. We will act. Will you?
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