Tampa’s Mayor Buckhorn joins Mayor Kriseman in call for divestment from gun manufacturers

Thursday, Mayor Bob Buckhorn of Tampa announced his interest in divesting monies from the city’s employee pension fund from gun and ammo manufacturing companies. While only $300,000 of the city of Tampa’s $800 million pension portfolio currently invests in these companies, Buckhorn’s aide says he is looking to use his platform to send a message of support to the families of Parkland, Florida, where a Feb. 14 school shooting left 17 dead.

Buckhorn joins a growing number of Florida lawmakers taking a financial stand against gun lobbies. Buckhorn will seek approval on the issue by the seven-member retirement board that oversees the city fund. Buckhorn’s announcement follows a series of stands from St. Petersburg mayor Rick Kriseman, who announced that the city would be divesting funds from gun manufacturers during the March For Our Lives. The mayor has also directed the finance staff to create a policy investment policy to bring before city council, to prohibit investment in gun manufacturing in the future.

On Wednesday, Kriseman announced that he will also be joining the lawsuit against Governor Rick Scott over the ability for local jurisdictions to dictate firearm regulations. Kriseman, in a speech on the steps of City Hall, added, “My hope is that some of all of the council also join as plaintiff.” The issue is scheduled to be brought before City Council during their April 19 council meeting. It remains unclear whether Buckhorn and Tampa’s city council will join in on the lawsuit.

Current state law does not allow local officials to pass gun regulations that are more prohibitive than Florida state law. Individual cities can incur fines, and officials are subject to removal from office, if they prove defiant. Despite the law, some communities have already chosen to pass strict gun regulations, including the City of Coral Gables, Florida. There, city commissioners boldly and unanimously passed a ban on assault rifles at the end of February.