Fla. to Ban Doctors From Asking About Guns

Doctors in Florida will be restricted from asking patients about gun ownership under a bill headed for Gov. Rick Scott's desk. The so-called "Docs versus Glocks" bill passed by the state Senate yesterday was introduced after a woman complained that her pediatrician told her to find another doctor when she refused to answer a question about guns in her home. Doctors will no longer be allowed to ask the question as part of a routine medical survey, reports Reuters.

Critics say doctors need to talk about gun safety—especially to the parents of young children—and liken it to asking parents if they have a fence around their pool. That argument was rejected by the Republican who sponsored the bill. "I don’t believe it says in the Constitution that you have the right to own a pool,” he said. “This is about protecting and affirming our Second Amendment rights.” Florida's Senate has also passed a bill banning local governments from passing stricter gun laws than the state. (More gun control stories.)