Florida Democratic Senator Bill Nelson has responded to Governor Rick Scott’s plan to tackle future tragedies like the Parkland shooting from occurring. Though Senator Nelson said that there are some points he agrees with the proposed plan, he still considers it largely inadequate and explains that Governor Scott is not listening to what Floridians actually want as a resolution. He specified that what Floridians are really clamoring for is an assault weapons ban and for universal background checks.
In a statement for reporters, Senator Nelson shared his views by saying that “Gov. Scott should have been listening to the people of Florida. But instead he has been listening to the NRA. And as a result he has missed the major two components that the people of Florida are demanding, because they don’t want any more massacres, any more slaughters.”
However, support for the Governor’s plan came from an unlikely source, the Florida Education Association, which is the biggest teacher union. In a statement, Joanne McCall, the FEA President, explained that “Our members’ primary concern right now is to ensure that our students feel safe and cared for in our schools. We are determined that our students never again experience these all too common shootings,” highlighting that “We thank the governor and all those involved in crafting this proposal, it is very close to what the FEA has been calling for.”
As a result, the dialogue still continues as to what is the best measure to take in order to ensure that more lives are not lost to future shootings, but tensions might grow as both sides of the aisle try to look for common ground.