TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Floridians are continuing a gun buying binge.
For the first three months of the year, the state has conducted 100,000 more background checks on gun purchasers than it did during the same time last year.
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Gun shops are having trouble keeping products on the shelves, and state lawmakers are working to make sure restrictions from Washington D.C. don't impact rights in Florida.
Licensed gun dealer Mark Folmar no longer tells his gun distributors what he wants to order.
"We used to call and order specific guns, now we call and ask them what they have in stock," he said.
Ammunition is also hard to come by.
"Apparently, people are afraid that the government is going to enact things that will make it more difficult for them to have stuff and they want it," Folmar said.
And because of that fear, state lawmakers are jumping into the picture.
What lawmakers are saying is that even if case law does allow guns to be banned, the Tenth Amendment on states' rights should prevail.
A Divided House Judiciary Committee voted to tell Washington that Florida would not enforce any assault weapon or ammunition bans.
"I've often wondered why aren't we talking about defense rifles confiscation instead of assault weapon ban," said Judiciary Chairman Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala. "Those are just perspectives."
But critics called it unnecessary and grandstanding.
"It just seems like a waste of money, just as challenging the Obamacare wound up putting us behind the eight ball," said Rep. Elaine Schwartz, D-Miami.
Unclear in the legislation is who would initiate a lawsuit, but the message to Congress could be voted on by the full House as early as next week.
In addition to telling Washington to keep its hands off Floridians' guns, state lawmakers also voted this week to allow principles to designate personnel who can carry a gun on campuses, and they are trying to close a loophole that misses mentally ill gun buyers.