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Sen. Bill Galvano

Coalition Response to Proposed Gun Legislation Packages

Posted on February 23, 2018

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.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Bill Galvano, Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, Gov. Rick Scott, gun reform, Parkland, Rick Scott, Sen. Bill Galvano

Galvano Files Senate Bill 1472 for Medical Cannabis Coalition

Posted on March 6, 2017

Senator Bill Galvano (R-Bradenton) filed Senate Bill 1472 “an act relating to medicinal cannabis research and education.” A companion to SB 1472, was filed last week, by Representative Jackie Toledo (R-Tampa) in the House.
“Florida is a leader in developing innovative health care solutions, and creating opportunities for researchers in our state to responsibly inform new medicines and treatment options is a top priority,” said Sen. Galvano. “Right now, there is anecdotal evidence suggesting the positive benefits medicinal cannabis can have on patients in certain circumstances, but this legislation will help the State of Florida advance the science and research around cannabis as a treatment option for a variety of medical conditions.”
The research concerning the use of cannabis to alleviate pain and treat illnesses is limited because permission to perform clinical studies on cannabis is difficult to obtain, with access to research-grade cannabis so restricted that little or no unbiased studies have been performed.
This legislation would establish the Coalition for Medicinal Cannabis Research and Education within the Moffitt Cancer Center. This Coalition would enable Moffitt to organize rigorous scientific research, provide education and information, disseminate research performed, and inform statewide policy on medicinal cannabis.
“We are excited to partner with Sen. Galvano in support of this important legislation that will expand the research opportunities available to medical experts in the state to provide empirical evidence on the potential benefits and harms of medical cannabis,” said Thomas A Sellers, Ph.D., MPH, Center Director at Moffitt Cancer Center.
In November, the voters approved Amendment 2 to allow for medical use of cannabis in the state of Florida. Amendment 2, passed with 71% of voter approval.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Medical Cannabis Coalition, Sen. Bill Galvano, Senate Bill 1472

Galvano Files “Spill Bill” Strengthening Notification Requirements

Posted on January 26, 2017

Important legislation to tighten Florida’s notification requirements for potential environmental spills was filed today by Sen. Bill Galvano. Senate Bill 532, will require companies to notify the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) about the release of any dangerous substance within 24 hours of discovery, and DEP must then publish a public notice within 24 hours. 

“The people of Florida deserve to know if our state’s drinking water has been threatened by potentially dangerous pollutants,” said Sen. Bill Galvano. “Requiring the public to be notified quickly about potential contaminants will give them peace of mind that they won’t unwittingly be drinking water that isn’t safe. SB 532, is designed to protect Floridians from this not-so-clear but very present danger.” 

This legislation comes in the aftermath of multiple high-profile incidents over the past year that resulted in chemical contaminants possibly being leaked into local drinking water supplies – without the public being made aware of the situation.

Sen. Galvano has a track record of championing legislation that brings a greater level of awareness about potential contamination incidents. In 2005, Sen. Galvano sponsored HB 937, which was ultimately signed into law by the governor and requires notice when contamination is discovered as a result of site rehabilitation activities. The current legislation being proposed builds off this legislation to further strengthen and expand the state’s notification requirements. 

The legislation also requires DEP to develop and publish a list of substances that “pose a substantial risk to public health, safety or welfare.” If any company fails to notify DEP about an incident regarding one of the published substances, it could face civil penalties of up to $10,000 per day.

For more information about the legislation, visit  www.FLSenate.gov.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Notification Requirements, Sen. Bill Galvano, Spill Bill

Senate Regulated Industries Committee Passes Comprehensive Gaming Legislation

Posted on January 25, 2017

Senator Bill Galvano (R-Bradenton) released the following statement regarding Senate Bill 8, Gaming, which today passed the Senate Committee on Regulated Industries.
“Gaming is a multi-billion-dollar industry. Just as we do with any other industry in our state, we want to make sure our laws provide an environment of certainty and reliability that allows private entities to make educated business decisions about the jobs families rely on. In turn, all Florida families can make informed decisions about the communities in which they live and work.
“These are real dollars that impact real people, families, and communities across our state. Today’s action is an important step towards finalizing a comprehensive, statewide approach that respects the interests of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, other business owners who operate gaming facilities, and the authority of local voters.
“I look forward to the work ahead and hope this legislation will provide a foundation for further discussions with Governor Scott, our colleagues in the Florida House, the Seminole Tribe, industry stakeholders, and constituents. My goal is to resolve this issue early in session to provide the certainty and finality all stakeholders are seeking.”

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Comprehensive, gaming, legislation, Regulated Industries Committee, Sen. Bill Galvano, Senate

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