TALLAHASSEE — Facing mounting pressure, the Florida Senate[1] is scheduling a rare weekend floor session to debate a hotly contested gun and school safety bill meant to address the Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland.
In a memo Friday, Senate President Joe Negron[2] said the bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Bill Galvano, wanted “additional time to work on this important issue.” The Senate had been expected to debate the measure Friday but instead will discuss it Saturday. A final vote is planned for Monday.
The bill, SB 7026, has drawn criticism from Republicans[3], who object to the gun control provisions in it, and Democrats[4], who say it doesn’t go far enough on guns and sets up a program to arm teachers. The powerful National Rifle Association[5] opposes the gun control measures, too.
The bill mandates a three-day waiting period on all gun purchases, raises the minimum age for buying a rifle from 18 to 21, with exceptions for law enforcement and military members; and bans “bump stocks” which modify a semiautomatic weapon to allow it to fire more rapidly.
Democrats have pushed for a full ban on sales of assault weapons — defined as semiautomatic rifles in their bill. Republicans have voted down their amendments in committee discussions. Some Republicans say the gun control provisions infringe on the Second Amendment rights of 18- to 20-year-olds.
Black Democratic lawmakers are opposed to the bill mainly because of the “marshal” program, which would allow school districts to sign up for a program to train teachers to carry firearms in the classroom in case of an active shooter.
Rep. Rene Plasencia, a public school teacher, said he wouldn’t want to carry a gun or have them in his school but is comfortable allowing rural districts that want the program to have it.
“That’s why it has my support because it leaves it up to local control,” said Plasencia, R-Orlando. “Who are we to tell the parents from other districts that they don’t have a right to implement a program that they believe will keep their children safe?”
Legislators are under pressure to pass something addressing the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which left 17 dead. Parents and students of the school have held rallies in Tallahassee urging lawmakers to pass gun control.
Emotions are running high.
Gov. Rick Scott brought Ryan Petty, father of Alaina, 14, who was slain at the school, to speak to the Legislature on Thursday. Rep. Bob Cortes, whose son died at 5 of complications related to cerebral palsy, said he “felt the pain” of Petty when he hugged him, broke down crying and needed an hour to compose himself.
“The flashback I had was myself burying my child, and a wave of emotion came over me like I haven’t felt in a long time,’’ he said. “And I cried, I cried a lot.”
Afterwards, he
