A lot of interesting statistics on guns have come to light recently, including the one that says the desire for stricter gun laws is up sharply in the U.S.
Add to that, the horrifying truth that this year, people are getting shot by toddlers on a weekly basis.
There have also been 142 school shootings since 2013 (see a map of all the shootings here.)
In spite of all this, the Florida GOP, basically all but an owned subsidiary of the National Rifle Association, is forging ahead with more gun friendly legislation against the will of their own voters. Because they parrot the talking points of the NRA and its lobbyist Marion Hammer that the only answer to the gun problem is more profits for gun manufacturers guns.
Against the wishes of parents, students, and the colleges themselves, the legislature is pushing ahead with a campus carry bill that they tried and failed to pass last year:
A bill allowing concealed guns on Florida's colleges and university campuses passed the Senate Higher Education Committee by a 5-3 vote, along party lines with the panel's three Democrats opposed.
The proposal — Senate Bill 68, sponsored by Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker — would allow anyone with a concealed weapons permit to carry firearms on college campuses...
...But opponents — including police chiefs, college and university presidents, professors and students — said that argument isn't sound. They argue the proposal will only create a more dangerous environment, while also potentially costing colleges tens of millions of dollars in increased security expenses.
This would mean putting more money into security that could be spent on education, putting yet another accent on just how "stupid" this idea is. Because the Florida GOP worship the gun at the expense of all else.
But there's more where that came from, because of course there is:
Meanwhile, in the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, senators also favorably recommended Senate Bill 300, which would allow anyone with a concealed-weapons permit to carry that weapon openly wherever they're allowed to carry concealed. It passed by a 3-2 vote, also with Democrats opposed.
Businesses still have concerns about the bill, because business owners don't want to be sued if they choose not to allow people to carry weapons in their shops. They have the right under current law to reject people carrying concealed weapons, said Sen. Don Gaetz, a Niceville Republican who sponsored the bill.
This means a clash between the business friendly GOP and their love of guns everywhere, but they're working to hammer out the details, so no doubt they'll probably find a way to protect the business owners' liability. What they won't be able to fix is the lost business they'll face when and if it passes, should Floridians fear the kind of thing that's happening in other states and stay home, like emboldened armed vigilantes who have decided shoplifters and any innocent bystanders are fair game for target practice.
And speaking of armed vigilantes, Hammer has also pushed for expanding Florida's Stand Your Ground Laws, forcing prosecutors to refute claims of self defense beyond a reasonable doubt and if they can't do so, rewarding the shooters with attorney's fees.
These bills would also allow for concealed carry permit holders to carry weapons into public meetings including gatherings of local school boards, municipalities. The bill also lifts the ban on concealed-carry in career centers. What a great idea, considering that curious toddlers are bound to show up with their parents at school board meetings at some point, right?
When asked about this last bill, Rick Scott for once didn't give a shout out to the NRA. He wouldn't comment on it. Maybe that's because one of the places those with guns would be free to roam would be in the Capitol where the legislature and Scott work. For that reason, I would say this bill probably won't ever see the light of day, or it won't pass, because the GOP is fully aware that guns everywhere aren't a good idea.
By voting against having guns in the Capitol, they'll prove it.
