Mitch Perry
There are several gun bills that will be before the Florida Legislature when they convene next month in Tallahassee, including a guns-on-college-campuses bill.
The legislation failed in the 2015 session, but GOP lawmakers are pushing for it again next year.
On Wednesday, Florida’s Congressional Democrats sent a letter to Senate President Andy Gardiner and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli opposing that bill.
“Florida’s colleges should be safe for our students, not remakes of the Wild West,” says CD 22 Representative Lois Frankel.“The State Legislature should take seriously the concerns of university administrators, police, parents, and students and stop these reckless bills.”
In addition to Frankel, the letter is signed by Representatives Corinne Brown, Alcee L. Hastings, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Kathy Castor, Theodore E. Deutch, Frederica S. Wilson, Patrick E. Murphy, Alan Grayson, and Gwen Graham.
“We agree that campus violence is a serious problem. Sadly, there have been at least 23 shootings on college campuses just in 2015,” the letter states. “Increasing the number of guns on college campuses is simply not the answer.”
Baker Republican Greg Evers is sponsoring the Licenses to Carry Concealed Weapons or Firearms in the Senate while Sarasota’s Greg Steube is sponsoring it in the House.
The State University System of Florida, some campus police chiefs and several Florida sheriffs oppose the legislation. The National Rifle Association has endorsed it.
One comment
Marcus
December 18, 2015 at 8:31 am
Do NOT pass campus carry, as the risks outweigh the benefits. There are other safer and more effective options for improving campus security. Having untrained armed civilians on campus pose a liability/potential public threat for the universities.
http://www.campussafetymagazine.com/article/should_we_allow_armed_ccp_holders_on_campus_11_reservations_of_a_gun_guy/P2#
http://www.thetrace.org/2015/11/campus-carry-self-defense-accidental-shootings-research/
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