After the deadly Parkland Florida school shooting, state lawmakers are struggling to come up with a bill to make schools safer.
After the deadly Parkland Florida school shooting, state lawmakers are struggling to come up with a bill to make schools safer.
Seventeen people were killed including 14 students and three staff members.
Students from Stoneman Douglas High School were in Cape Coral asking for changes to the state’s constitution.
With only four days left in the legislative session, students fear nothing may get done. Some are pointing to the NRA as the problem for not getting anything solved.
Stoneman High School senior David Hogg is among those hoping the governor will stop any plan to arm teachers.
“I’d like to see the governor veto that but I highly doubt that because he is an NRA supported coward,” Hogg stated.
The NRA sent a text message to Florida lawmakers Monday urging them to turn down a Senate plan that so far calls for giving teachers guns, raising the age limit to buy a gun to 21 and call for banning bump stocks.
“We in the Never Again movement were hesitant to support this already but we did say overall it would be a step in the right direction,” said Stoneman student Ryan Deitsch.
The Senate bill also allows police to take guns from people deemed dangerous by the courts. But the plan doesn’t ban assault-style weapons, something most Stoneman Douglas students have demanded.
“The people have come up with it. They’ve been shouting it into their ears writing letters, talking to congress and senate alike and frankly I can’t believe they haven’t heard yet,” Deitsch said.
The house has yet to come up with a plan. They’re waiting for the Senate to finish theirs.
And that leaves many wondering if anything can get done in the remaining four days.
“They’re politicians and I think they’ll pander to whoever is giving them the most money at the time,” Joe Pierson said.
Stoneman Douglas students warn getting nothing accomplished could prove costly.
“That’s fine. They won’t get re-elected. It’s as simple as that. If you don’t want to do your job, we’ll do it for you,” Hogg said.
The Senate met for eight hours on Saturday and again on Monday.
After they vote it will go to the house for a vote where it will also face opposition and debate. But everything has to be done by Friday in order to make it to the governor’s desk unless a special session of the legislature is called.
