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Coalition Response to Proposed Gun Legislation Packages

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The Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence and League of Women Voters of Florida appreciate that Gov. Rick Scott and state legislators are addressing gun reform in the wake of another massacre in our state.
However, we have serious concerns regarding their proposals and offer to meet with Gov. Scott and incoming Senate President Bill Galvano to discuss better ways to move toward meaningful gun safety measures.
  • We do not support a three-day waiting period before someone can purchase a semiautomatic assault rifle. 
  • We do not believe raising the age for buying a semiautomatic assault rifle from 18 to 21 years of age goes far enough.
These two courses of action do not address our goal — and students’ pleas — of banning the sale of semiautomatic assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in Florida. And it’s important to remember that in many mass shootings committed with these killing machines — Aurora, San Bernardino, Pulse, Las Vegas, Sutherland Springs — the murderers were well over the age of 21.
“While we applaud our lawmakers for addressing the need for policy changes in the wake of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, we believe the proposals do not go far enough,” said Patricia Brigham, Co-Chair of the Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence and 1st Vice President of the League of Women Voters of Florida. “Raising the age limit to 21 to purchase a rifle in Florida does not address the main problem: semiautomatic assault weapons. Many recent mass shooters were over the age of 21 when they wreaked havoc, death, and destruction. The Pulse shooter was 29. The Las Vegas shooter was 64. The list goes on. The fact is we need a ban on semiautomatic assault weapons and large-capacity magazines. Anything less is woefully inadequate.”
“We heard many proposals today from the Governor and legislative leaders that they strongly felt would address school safety in Florida,” said Andy Pelosi, Executive Director of the Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus and Co-Chair of the Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence. “However, the common denominator in mass shootings was noticeably absent — taking large-capacity magazines and assault weapons off our streets.”
Joe Saunders, Senior Political Director of Equality Florida, takes issue with the Governor’s assertion that gun safety advocates are calling for a mass takeaway of 2nd Amendment rights for all Americans. “That is a gross misrepresentation of the students from Parkland, survivors of Pulse, and this Coalition,” he said. “The vast majority of Americans believe if you’re purchasing a firearm you should be subject to a background check, without exception, and the vast majority believe assault rifles have no place in the hands of civilians. These packages are incomplete until those common sense policies are included.”
Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Julie Kessel added, “We need more mental health services available to those in distress, and I applaud that intervention. However, projecting blame onto those with mental illness will have no meaningful impact on mass shootings. People with serious mental illness are far more likely to be the victim of violence rather than the cause of it.”
In addition to calls for enacting a ban on semiautomatic assault weapons in Florida, the Coalition has the following reaction to proposals heard today:
  • We ask that our Legislature expand the scope of background checks to include private sales.
  • We support removing weapons from domestic violence abusers and banning those with restraining orders from purchasing a firearm.
  • We are strongly opposed to any arming of teachers. They do not have the tactical training to respond to an active shooter, nor should they be expected to undergo such training. We applaud Gov. Scott for taking this position as well.
“The Florida PTA believes the safest day-to-day school climate to be gun-free. Only actively trained law enforcement officers should be allowed to carry guns on our school campuses. Our sole purpose should be to educate our youth,” said Angie Gallo, Legislation Chair of the Florida PTA.
The Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence was created by the League of Women Voters of Florida after the Pulse shooting to promote smart gun legislation. It has grown to include more than 120 local, state, and national organizations and includes such diverse groups as the Hispanic Federation, Florida PTA, Equality Florida, the Interfaith Council of Central Florida, Anti-Defamation League, and Doctors for America.

College Democrats Mobilize to Support Parkland Students in Fight for Common-Sense Gun Reform

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College Democrats of America members are standing with the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School by organizing rallies, lobbying in Tallahassee, and demanding action. Florida College Democrats Political Director, Kathryn Casello, and College Democrats of America Communications Director, Sophia Ward, released the following statements:

“These rallies prove how powerful the voices of students, educators, and advocates are,” said Florida College Democrats Political Director Kathryn Casello. “The victims of the Parkland mass shooting deserve more than our thoughts and prayers; they deserve action and change. College students and youth are paying attention, and they will be voting in November.”

“As a born and bred Floridian, the Parkland shooting was already far too close to home, but having two younger brothers in Florida public schools right now made this even more of a nightmare,” said CDA Communications Director Sophia Ward. “I am committed to encouraging students across the nation to vote on election day and elect officials who will listen to voters and pass legislation that will make our schools safer.”   

Here’s a look at how College Democrats across Florida are joining the movement:

The Florida Atlantic University College Democrats organized a candlelight vigil to remember the victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Shooting.

  

Source: University Press

At the University of Miami, College Democrats collected signatures on campus to urge their elected officials to act on gun reform. 

 Florida State University College Democrats marched to the state capitol in Tallahassee to demand common-sense gun reform.

Source: Andrew Salinero via Twitter 

The University of Florida College Democrats are planning a rally in Gainesville on March 24th to urge action from elected officials on this issue.

Source: UF College Dems

The Barry University College Democrats organized an event on campus, where more than 100 students wrote to their representatives demanding change.

 

Source: Barry University College Dems Facebook

Gov. Scott Convenes Florida Leaders to Work on Solutions to Keep Students Safe

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Following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland last week, Governor Scott said that he would be quickly organizing meetings with state and local leaders to discuss ways to keep Florida students safe, including school safety improvements and keeping guns away from individuals struggling with mental illness. Tomorrow, February 20th, Governor Scott has organized state and local leaders to meet for workshops at the Florida Department of Education (DOE), the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) and the Florida Sheriffs Association. These groups will consist of members of law enforcement, school administrators, teachers, mental health experts, and state agency leadership. Governor Scott will be attending these workshops throughout the day and will hold a roundtable to discuss their findings at the end of the day.

All meetings will be open to the media and address the following:

  • The education workshop will focus on school safety improvements and updating school security protocols and emergency plans.
  • The mental health and child welfare workshop will focus on ways to expand mental health services for Floridians, especially students, and improve coordination between state, local and private behavioral health partners.
  • The law enforcement workshop will focus on ensuring individuals struggling from mental illness do not have access to guns and potential safety improvements for firearm policies.

Governor Scott said, “I have spent the last week in Parkland talking to members of the community, students and families of the victims who are suffering following this horrific shooting. While there are only three weeks left of the legislative session, we must make changes to keep students safe.  A tragedy like what occurred in Broward County must never happen again and swift action is needed now. I am bringing local and state leaders together to find solutions on how to prevent violence in our schools and keep guns out of the hands of mentally ill individuals. This is an urgent matter that we must address quickly.”

These meetings are not open to the public, but will be live-streamed by the Florida Channel at thefloridachannel.org. A website will be provided to submit public input.

WHAT: Workshop with education officials

WHEN: 10:00AM -12:00PM; 2:00PM – 4:00PM

WHERE: Florida Department of Education
325 W Gaines St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399

WHAT: Workshop with child welfare advocates and behavioral health leaders

WHEN: 9:00AM -11:00AM; 2:00PM – 4:00PM

WHERE: Florida Department of Children and Families
1317 Winewood Blvd.
Tallahassee, FL 32399

WHAT: Workshop with Florida’s law enforcement community

WHEN: 10:00AM -12:00PM; 2:00PM – 4:00PM

WHERE: Florida Sheriffs Association
2617 Mahan Dr.
Tallahassee, FL 32308

WHAT: Roundtable with Governor Scott and leadership members from workshop groups

WHEN: 5:30PM

WHERE: Florida State Capitol
Governor’s Large Conference Room
400 S Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399

NOTE: The Florida Channel will be live-streaming the meetings at thefloridachannel.org

Senator Farmer Statement on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting

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State Senator Gary Farmer released the following statement regarding yesterday’s tragic school shooting in Parkland FL:

I am heartbroken by the devastating act of evil that occurred yesterday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Every one of these too often occurring incidents is a tragedy, but as a former resident of Parkland and the Chairman of the Broward Delegation, this particular act of violence has left a brutal and lasting scar on my heart. I want to express my condolences and support to both State Senator Kevin Rader and State Representative Jared Moskowitz who represent the districts where the school is located.

I have been personally affected by the tragedy that unfolded yesterday. My family previously lived just 7 miles from the school. My daughter had friends in the school that day, and her life and the lives of my entire family have been forever changed. While my fight for proper gun safety measures began long before today, this incident has only hardened my resolve to protect our children from the horrors of gun violence.

In the wake of this life-shattering event our initial reaction must be to provide aid and comfort to the victims and their families. Last afternoon the lives of every student in that school and our entire community were shattered, and we need to be ready and available to assist them in any way possible. We cannot, however, lose sight of the major gaps in current statutes which allowed this tragic event and those before it to occur. The Florida State Senate and House of Representatives must act immediately to close these holes and provide our students and teachers with the protections that they so desperately need.

Legislators and pundits who have been misguided or corrupted by the powerful pro-gun lobby will say that it is too soon to act. To that, I say that it is too late. It is too late to prevent the horrors that unfolded yesterday, and it is too late to prevent the evil acts that have occurred elsewhere. However, it is never too late to take action and prevent this evil act from ever happening again.

Today a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas accurately summed up the current situation as he reminded politicians that “Ideas without action remain ideas, and children die as a result.” For years I and many of my colleagues have proposed legislation that would take the necessary steps to address our State’s lack of gun safety measures. These proposals have been ignored amongst the majority leadership in both Chambers, and Floridians have paid the price with their blood and tears. The time to act is now, and those who refuse to do so whether knowingly or not are providing material support to the continuation of violence in our State.

In the State Senate a bill has been filed to ban the same type of assault weapon that was used to carry out the mass murder that occurred in Parkland. Despite the clear need for such legislation displayed both this week and by numerous incidents before, such as the Pulse shooting, this bill by Senator Stewart (SB 196) has remained unheard in any committee.

The weapon used in yesterday’s shooting has been described as an “AR-15 style rifle.” This style of weapon has become the weapon of choice for those seeking to commit mass murder in our schools, businesses, and other community gathering places. These weapons have the ability to carry more rounds than could ever be required for recreation or self-defense. They are loaded using detachable magazines, which allow the user to quickly reload and continue to unleash a stream of lethal ammunition upon their victims. Let there be no doubt about it, AR-15 style rifles and other assault weapons are designed to be instruments of mass slaughter, and have no place in the hands of any civilian. With the devastating result of the widespread civilian access to weapons of war staring us directly in the face, I find it unconscionable that any legislator could oppose an effort to take them off the streets. I once again urge the majority leadership in the State Senate to immediately take up SB 196, to address this threat to our children and communities.

In the hours following yesterday’s shooting, news quickly surfaced that there were clear warnings about the intentions of the evil perpetrator of this act. Despite online threats made by the shooter which specifically stated his intentions to commit violent acts (both in his former school and against law enforcement) state, local, and federal authorities did not possess the tools that they needed to prevent the shooter’s access to deadly weapons. Currently our State statutes prohibit the registration of firearms in Florida. This means that when threats are issued, our law enforcement is unable to determine if a suspect has access to weapons that would allow them to carry out their threat. My bill, SB 1476, would eliminate the Florida statute that currently bars the creation of a statewide firearm registry.

The gaps in our current gun safety laws are so major and so numerous that the prospect of taking action may seem daunting. My fellow state legislators need to be aware that the vehicles to provide for gun safety in Florida exist in current bills that have not yet been given the chance to be heard. We can take action to prevent future violence before the legislative session ends in March, and our legislators must be held accountable if they fail to do so.

It is too late to stop the horrors of yesterday, but it is not too late to prevent tragedy from occurring tomorrow. What we saw yesterday is the direct result of a failure by the Legislature to act. The students of Parkland suffered from that failure, and in the wake of this tragedy, they are calling upon us to act. Broward County School Superintendent Runcie has told us that in the hours following this tragedy students have reached out to him telling him that now is the time for us to have a “reasonable conversation about gun safety legislation.” We owe it to the victims of this horrifying event to take immediate action to address comprehensive gun safety legislation.

One of the most common descriptions of this event that I have heard and read on social media is that this was a “senseless tragedy.” That is wrong. This wasn’t senseless. It was the logical, even likely result of our failure to regulate the sale of firearms. It was the result of a steady stream of obstruction by the gun industry. And it was the result of law enforcement not being provided with the tools needed to stop events like. What is senseless is that mass killing after mass killing occurs in this country, but we only express remorse and call for thoughts & prayers but fail to take action to stop these events from happening. Enough!!

As a State Senator, and more importantly as a father, I will not rest until we can ensure the safety of our children and communities. I will fight tooth and nail against every dangerous and nonsensical pro-gun piece of legislation in the State Senate. I will not allow our State Legislature to act as a contributing factor to the horrifying violence that we saw this week, and I demand that my fellow legislators do the same.

For those affected by this tragedy, the following resources have been made available:

Grief counselors are available for all of our students, families and staff.

To speak to a BCPS Family Counselor from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Thursday, February 15 and Friday, February 16, call 754-321-HELP or 754-321-4357.  You can also email [email protected].

In addition, for Marjory Stoneman Douglas students, grief counselors are on site at the following locations:

Pine Trails Park Recreation Center and Amphitheater 

Coral Springs Gymnasium    

Coral Springs Center For The Arts 

For Marjory Stoneman Douglas staff members, grief counselors are available at Parkland Library.

For those seeking to provide help to those affected by this tragedy, a GoFundMe account has been established to help provide for their needs: GoFundMe.com/stonemandouglasfund or BrowardEducationFoundation.org.

Nelson calls on Congress to act following Parkland school shooting

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U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) spoke today on the Senate floor about the tragic shooting at Marjory Douglas Stoneman High School in Parkland, Florida.

“At some point, we’ve got to say enough is enough,” Nelson said. “At some point we, as a society, have to come together and put a stop to this.”

“To those who say it’s not the time to talk about gun violence because it’s too soon, we don’t want to politicize right after a tragedy … then I would ask, when is the right time?” Nelson said. “How many more times do we want to do this? How many more folks have to die?”

“Let’s have the conversation about this right now – not just about mental illness, and that’s part of it, not just about protection at our schools, and that’s part of it – let’s get to the root cause … let’s get these assault weapons off our streets,” Nelson said.

“Let’s just not talk about it. Let’s do something about it,” Nelson said. “Let’s make what happened at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School a pivotal moment in this country’s history, not because it was one of the largest mass shootings – but, hopefully, because it was the last.”

Following is a rush transcript of his speech:

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson
Remarks on the Senate Floor
February 15, 2018

Sen. Nelson: Mr. President, those were all our children.

Those of us who are parents, you can imagine the parents of those children wondering what else can be done.

Because yesterday a former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in northern Broward County, Parkland, Florida, walked on to the campus with a gas mask, smoke grenades, and carrying an AR-15 assault rifle. He pulled the fire alarm. He waited for the students to come out into the hallway and he opened fire.

And as a result, 17 families are grieving. Their worst fears have become reality, and more than a dozen other students who were injured, they’re in the hospital and some of them in critical condition.

At some point, we’ve got to say enough is enough. At some point, we as a society have got to come together and put a stop to this. This senator grew up on a ranch. I have hunted all my life. I have had guns all my life.

I still hunt with my son. But an AR-15 is not for hunting. It’s for killing. But despite these horrific events that are occurring over and over, these tragedies have led so many of us to come right here to this floor and to beg our colleagues to take commonsense actions that we all know will help protect our children and our fellow citizens from these kind of tragedies. And we get nowhere.

So when is enough going to be enough?

Sandy Hook elementary, 20 students killed. That wasn’t enough.

The Pulse nightclub in Orlando, 49 people killed, a terrorist. That wasn’t enough.

Las Vegas, 58 people killed, that wasn’t enough.

Or just a year ago in the same county as the Parkland murders, Broward county, Fort Lauderdale airport, five people killed. That wasn’t enough.

Now this high school, 17 killed, some as young as 14 years old. So when is enough going to be enough?

This senator has spoken to local officials on the ground. I’ve spoken to the superintendent of the schools who in his own way is going through the grieving process.

I’ve spoken to the F.B.I. I’ve spoken to the sheriff’s department to make sure that they have everything they need, but when I finish talking to these folks and as we get through with the Dreamer legislation today, I’m headed down there and when I go to the hospital and see the families and see the hospital victims, all I can thank is how many more times are we going to have to go through this?

And those families are going to say to me, when is enough, enough?

To those who say now that it’s not the time to talk about gun violence because it’s too soon, we don’t want to politicize right after a tragedy, that’s what is said over and over. Then I would ask, when is the time?

If now is not the right time, when is the right time? After the next shooting? Or after the one that’s going to come after that? Because these are not going to stop unless we change ourselves as a culture.

How many more times do we have to do this? How many more folks have to die? When is enough going to be enough?

So let’s don’t hide from it. Let’s have a conversation about this right now, not just about mental illness and that’s part of it, not just about protection at our schools and that’s part of it.

Let’s get to the root cause. Let’s come together and help end this violence.

Let’s talk about that 19-year-old carrying an AR-15. Let’s do what needs to be done and let’s get these assault weapons off our streets. Let’s accomplish something on background checks.

My state passed a constitutional amendment, Florida, 1998. Background checks have to be done in the purchase of a gun. It’s never been implemented totally and it’s never been enforced. A simple background check.

The terrorist that killed 49 in Orlando at the Pulse nightclub, he had been on the terrorist watch list. If we’d have had a background check there, he wasn’t on it but maybe in a background check, we ought to include those who had been on a terrorist watch list.

Let’s have a conversation about this.

Oh, and do you remember a couple of years ago there was a proposal on the floor that if you’re on the terrorist watch list, you can’t buy a gun. That’s pretty common sense. We won’t let them get on an airplane because we don’t want them taking down a commercial airliner. But they don’t have a restriction of buying a gun.

So let’s get at the root cause of this issue. Let’s do what we all know needs to be done. And let’s do it now, not later.

Let’s just not talk about it. Let’s do something about it.

Let’s make what happened at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School a pivotal moment in this country’s history, not because it was one of the largest mass shootings, but hopefully because it was the last.

It’s with a heavy heart, Madam President, I yield the floor.