JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – New developments are emerging Monday regarding a now-confirmed firearm registry maintained within the Jacksonville city government. Members of the City Council Rules Committee met earlier this afternoon to discuss the controversial discovery.
Last week, News4JAX confirmed that the original allegation came from a member of Florida Carry, a nonprofit organization that advocates for gun rights in Florida.
Eric Friday, who represents Florida Carry, spoke during public comment at the committee meeting.
“It is a felony to keep a list of gun owners in this state,” Friday said. “It is a felony to keep a list of guns they own. And this city was making those records at the entrances to our public buildings.”
He said according to Florida Statute 790.335, it could result in a $5-million fine.
During Monday’s meeting, City General Counsel Michael Fackler confirmed that the Bedell Law Firm has been hired to represent the city in this matter. Fackler also told council members that the practice of recording visitors entering City Hall and the Yates Building, which sparked the registry concerns, has been discontinued.
Fackler explained the timeline, stating the city first became aware of the issue on April 21, and the Bedell firm was hired to begin handling the legal aspects. A subpoena from the State Attorney’s Office was served the following day.
The Jacksonville City Council Rules Committee met Monday to address a growing controversy surrounding an alleged illegal firearm registry reportedly maintained by the city for nearly two years.
The issue came to light last week when Councilman Nick Howland told News4JAX that records of gun owners were being kept at City Hall and the Yates Building without public knowledge. He referred to the registry as “illegal.”
“This is information that Jacksonville citizens need to know,” Howland said during the committee meeting.
Despite being invited, the Mayor’s Office did not attend today’s Rules Committee meeting. However, Fackler was present and answered questions from council members. Fackler revealed that the city became aware of the matter on April 21 and received a subpoena from the State Attorney’s Office. The city retained the Bedell Law Firm for legal representation. The firm handles criminal cases, among other legal matters.
“The consequences are potentially serious,” Fackler said.
Several council members expressed alarm over the existence of the registry, while others defended Mayor Donna Deegan.
Related: City Council Rules Committee discusses firearm registry policy
Councilman Ron Salem called on the committee to take a proactive role:
“Mr. Chair, I think it’s very appropriate for this committee to investigate, unless we’re contacted by one of those agencies not to pursue,” Salem said. “I urge you to re-request the presence of the administration and, if not, issue a subpoena.”
Meanwhile, Councilman Rahman Johnson warned against jumping to conclusions about the mayor’s involvement:
“I don’t believe that the mayor personally walked in and decided, ‘I‘ll create this registry’,” Johnson said. “To imply that is really misleading.”
News4JAX obtained a statement last week from Mayor Donna Deegan’s office following the revelation. It reads, in part:
The policy in question was created and written before Mayor Deegan took office. In light of the issue that has been raised, we are undergoing a review of all policy directives, particularly those from the previous administration that were left for us on their way out. Mayor Deegan and the leadership of her administration fully support constitutionally protected rights.
As we stated yesterday, the City of Jacksonville has received and complied with a subpoena from the State Attorney’s Office. Out of respect and in full cooperation with their review, we do not have further comment at this time.
Mayor Donna Deegan’s Office
Former Mayor Lenny Curry responded to that statement, issuing a strong denial of any involvement:
The Deegan comments that I had anything to do with this “policy” are not only false but also very predictable, it seems the Deegan administration’s default setting is to project away and blame someone else. This is nothing but deflection from her administration’s actual problem. No employee within my organization kept and logged citizens exercising constitutional rights in city hall. Deegan can’t say the same! THIS is why they are under investigation.
Statement by former Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry
Councilman Matt Carlucci, a member of the Rules Committee, called for unity and expressed concern over how the situation is being politicized.
“It divides. It doesn’t do anything for the goodwill of our council as a whole,” Carlucci said. “Our city moves best when we move together, not when we’re divided.”
Councilman Ron Salem also voiced disappointment over the administration’s absence from today’s meeting. It is worth noting that the request for the mayor’s office to appear at the meeting was voluntary. However, Salem suggested that future absences might lead to subpoenas to compel attendance.
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