Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Florida Attorney General Aims To Block Ballot Initiative On Semi-Automatic Gun Used In Parkland Mass Shooting
Politico: Florida Attorney General Moves To Block Proposed Ban On Semiautomatic Rifles
Florida's Republican attorney general is trying to scuttle a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban the type of rifle used in last year's Parkland school shooting, a move that comes as the state's gun control debate intensifies heading into 2020. Attorney General Ashley Moody asked the state Supreme Court on Friday to block the ballot initiative, which is being pushed by Miami-based Ban Assault Weapons Now, a group that wants to ban most semiautomatic rifles. The group has gathered more than 99,000 certified signatures so far, enough to trigger an automatic legal review of the amendment by the state's highest court. (Fineout, 7/29)
Los Angeles Times: Gilroy Garlic Festival Shooting: What We Know About The Military-Style Gun
The gunman in the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting used a military-style semiautomatic rifle that is illegal to own in California, although authorities have not yet publicly identified the specific type of weapon, according to officials Monday. Authorities initially said the weapon used was the WASR-10, a Romanian-built weapon that looks like an AK-47 and is considered an assault rifle under California law and therefore banned. (Winton and McGreevy, 7/29)
KQED: How To Talk With Kids After A Traumatic Event
Schools in the United States have become more prepared for mass shootings over the last two decades, and that has meant learning how to talk with kids about active shooters and “bad guys” on campus. While the incidence of on-campus shootings is extremely low, they’re something many teachers and parents have prepared for. (Sung, 7/29)
