Gun Safety Panel To Be Held In Hillsborough County

A local political organization is trying to show people there are things they can do to keep their community safer from gun violence.

The League of Women Voters of Hillsborough County is hosting a panel this Thursday titled “Bullet-Proofing Our Community: Promoting Gun Safety.”

The panel will focus on pursuing action to fight gun violence in Hillsborough County and will be moderated by Tampa Bay Times columnist Ernest Hooper. Topics of discussion will include suicide prevention, keeping children safe, and domestic violence initiatives.

“There are things that every person can do in the community to help reduce gun violence and so that’s what our speakers are going to be focusing on,” said Nancy Granda, gun safety action committee chair for the

The nonpartisan political organization tries to inform people about public policy issues, such as health care, education and the environment.

According to its website, gun safety is not a Second Amendment issue; it’s a public safety issue. The organization said it would like to see a safer Florida through reforms to existing gun laws.

“The League tries to balance Second Amendment rights with the public safety issue of gun violence,” said Granda.

Specific policies supported by the group include banning assault weapons and strengthening background checks. It also promotes legislation to protect domestic violence victims and is against arming teachers.

Speakers at the event will include Ben Friedman, Gun Safety Action Chair for the LWV of Florida; Clara A. Reynolds, President and CEO of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay; Amanda Thalji-Raitano, PhD, Be SMART for Kids; and Andrew Warren, State Attorney for the 13th Judicial Court, Hillsborough County.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office will also be there with trigger locks.

The event takes place Thursday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. It will be held at the Children's Board of Hillsborough County, 1002 E. Palm Ave., Tampa. Those interested in attending the event can RSVP to HotTopics@hclwv.org.

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