In a rare motion yesterday, the Senate called on a special session to discuss how they’ll move forward with the proposition that teachers should be properly trained and armed to better prevent future shootings from happening. It’s been a polarizing subject with lawmakers and with Americans who have made their thoughts known. As a result, protests have erupted nationwide calling for stricter gun laws to be enacted.
The session went through 128 amendments with only one amendment passing for a single bill. As a result, the senate narrowly rejected an assault weapons ban, and the proposal to arm teachers moved forward.
Republican Senator Bill Galvano from Bradenton commented on the measure saying that “If anything has come out of that tragedy, it is the realization that we have not done enough to this point comprehensively to have mechanisms in place … to prevent this from occurring.”
SB 7026 calls for a three-day waiting period to buy firearms, raising the purchasing age from 18 to 21 and a ban on bump stocks. The bill also calls for millions of dollars to be invested to strengthen school safety and also to be invested in mental health initiatives. The senate will be voting on the bill on Monday, which is expected to pass. House leaders are hopeful that it’ll reach the Governor’s desk on time before the end of the session on March 9th.
