WASHINGTON — As U.S. lawmakers work to take action against gun violence in the wake of the Uvalde, Texas, elementary school shooting, many are looking at Florida's gun laws as the blueprint.
Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, the lead Democratic negotiator in bipartisan discussion on gun control legislation, said on CNN’s "State of the Union" that laws Florida put in place in the wake of the 2018 Parkland massacre were the right "template" for what senators are trying to accomplish this time around.
He's referring to the "Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Act" signed into law by then-Republican Gov. Rick Scott.
“Well, Sen. Scott, then-Gov. Scott, passed that law in Florida because it was the right thing to do, but also because Republicans saw it as good politics. We have to make the case for Republicans that right now this is good politics,” Murphy said.
Florida's "red flag" law allows law enforcement members to petition the courts to confiscate guns from people who they believe are a threat to themselves or others.
The law raised the age to buy long guns, including AR-15s, from 18 to 21 and added a three-day waiting period between the purchase and delivery of a firearm or until the background check is completed, whichever is later. It also invested $400 million in mental health and school security measures.
Since the law was adopted in 2018, it’s been used thousands of times. And Murphy believes it's the type of legislation that can pass in the Senate, though given the failed gun law negotiations of the past, he's remaining "sober-minded."
“The template for Florida is the right one. Which is do some significant mental health investment, some school safety money and some modest, but impactful, changes in gun laws,” he told CNN host Jake Tapper.
Murphy said, “there are more Republicans at the table talking about changing our gun laws, investing in mental health than at any time since Sandy Hook.” But, as a report from The Washington Post reveals, several Republican lawmakers aren’t as enthusiastic about seeing a Florida-style gun law at the national level.
The newspaper reported that none of the GOP lawmakers it interviewed said they are open to a federal waiting period. Others reportedly showed interest in "red flag" laws but seemed doubtful about implementing them at a federal level.
Even Scott said in an interview with Bloomberg that he's not in favor of a national version of the Florida law he put in place. Instead, he's arguing for action at the state level.
Last year, Scott along with GOP Sen. Marco Rubio introduced a bill that would dedicate DOJ funds to "incentivize," states to adopt similar red-flag laws to Florida's. The proposal has not moved.
Still, Murphy remains optimistic that we'll see change at the national level.
“I think the possibility of success is better than ever before.," he said on CNN. "But I think the consequences of failure for our entire democracy are more significant than ever."