TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Democrats are calling for a special session to revise Florida's gun laws.
"We have to do something. The people are screaming for solutions," Democratic State Sen. Darryl Rouson who represents parts of Pinellas and Hillsborough counties said. "By coming together in a special session, we can take care of this critical issue once and for all."
If there's a special session, Democrats have three key measures on their agenda: expanding red flag laws, requiring universal background checks and regulating high capacity magazines.
Rouson said these are areas Democrats believe may garner Republican support.
"Those are things we can find compromise on and it's a start," Rouson said.
Whether a special session actually takes place is still up in the air.
After dozens of Democrats petitioned the Secretary of State to call for a special session, the Secretary of State's Office sent a poll to each Florida lawmaker on Tuesday, inquiring as to whether they support a special session.
Now, 60 percent of lawmakers must vote "yes" in order for the Legislature to go to a special session.
As of Wednesday night, that appeared unlikely. According to the Secretary of State's Office, as of 5 p.m. on Wednesday, just 39 percent of state lawmakers had responded to the call for a special session.
While the majority of those votes were in favor of it, it's still far from that 60 percent needed.
Republican Sen. Joe Gruters will vote no, if at all. He said a special session is unnecessary and a "political stunt" by Democrats.
"Florida has been very proactive across the board for school safety and common-sense legislation as it relates to guns and gun safety," said Gruters, citing the gun laws the Florida Legislature enacted following the Parkland massacre, which included raising the age to purchase a gun to 21 and banning bump stocks.
"If some of these laws existed in Texas, that tragedy that occurred there may not have happened," Gruters added.
According to Gifford's Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which analyzes gun legislation, Florida is in the "middle of the pack" in terms of strict gun laws, ranking 24th nationally.
On Thursday, the Florida Supreme Court is set to hear arguments challenging a 2011 state law that does not allow city and county officials to pass gun-related regulations.
That hearing starts at 9 a.m.