GIFFORDS Florida condemns passage of dangerous gun industry immunity bill

WASHINGTON —  Today, GIFFORDS Florida, the gun violence prevention organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, condemned the Florida House’s passage of HB 1551, a dangerous bill crafted by gun manufacturer Sig Sauer lobbyists. The gun industry giant is infamous for its P320 firearm, which lacks basic safety features and is known to suddenly misfire, often injuring gun owners and bystanders. The legislation will give Sig Sauer immunity in liability lawsuits aiming to hold it accountable for its dangerous and defective product.

“Today, the Florida House majority declared itself for sale to the highest bidder — proving that for a big enough check, they will look the other way as defective guns maim or kill our state’s law enforcement and gun owners,” said GIFFORDS Florida State Director Samantha Barrios. “This bill passed after Sig Sauer made sudden donations of more than $500,000 to Republican lawmakers, and that should horrify Floridians. Your representatives’ votes have been bought, and it’s only a matter of time before yet another defective Sig Sauer pistol injures another Florida law enforcement officer or gun owner. Despite this, our Republican leaders have chosen to remove victims’ ability to seek accountability in the courts, and have opted instead to protect Sig Sauer’s bottom line.” 

The P320 has been widely reported to suddenly misfire, and has caused hundreds of injuries and several deaths across the nation. In Florida, one Indian River County police officer was shot suddenly in the calf and ankle and could not return to work for months. In another incident, a Tampa police officer’s ankle was shot and shattered.