TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Chants of "shame" and "vote them out" filled a Florida Senate committee chamber on Monday after the Senate Rules Committee voted to not include an assault weapons ban amendment to proposed gun-reform legislation.
Many who spoke during more than two hours of public comment were among an estimated 1,200 that protested at the state Capitol Monday morning, calling for changes to Florida's gun laws. Most wore orange t-shirts with the hashtag #gunreformnow.
Lawmakers then approved The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, which in part:
- Raise the legal age for purchasing a firearm in Florida.
- Impose a three-day waiting period for most gun purchases.
- Increase school safety measures, including creating the Office of Safe Schools and the Commission on School Safety and Security.
- Include the words "seize and hold firearms" from those deemed a danger to themselves and others.
“Nothing we will do in the State Legislature will fill the void created in the families of the victims, their school, or their community," Senate President Joe Negron (R-Stuart) said in a statement. "However, this comprehensive legislation will honor their memory by helping to ensure every community across the state has the resources needed to identify and treat those suffering from mental illness, to improve the safety and security of local schools, and to ensure those suffering from mental illness do not have access to firearms."
The measure will now be considered by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, which is also when the House Rules Committee will review similar legislation.
The proposed measures come after Gov. Rick Scott announced a plan last week that would, in part:
- Allow a court to stop a violent or mentally ill person from buying or owning a firearm.
- Anyone buying a gun should be 21 years of age or older.
- If someone is subject to an injunction for protection against stalking, cyber-stalking, dating violence, repeat violence, sexual violence or domestic violence, they won’t be able to buy or own a firearm.
- Mandatory law enforcement in every public school. There should be one officer for every 1,000 students. Must be in place by beginning of the 2018 school year.
- Mandatory active shooter training for faculty and students. Must be complete during first week of each semester in public schools.
- Establish new anonymous ‘See something, say something’ dedicated hotline, website and mobile app.
- Additional $50M in funding for mental health initiatives.
The aforementioned efforts are in response to a Valentine's Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland where 17 students and staff were killed. Nikolas Cruz, 19, has confessed to the killings, authorities said.
Below is the testimony from Monday's committee meeting, which was streamed live on the 10News Facebook page:
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 10 News app now.
Have a news tip? Email tips@wtsp.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.
