Aaron Bean talks Pulse, pension tax, legislative session

On Tuesday afternoon, State Sen. Aaron Bean addressed the Northside Business Leaders group at their customary meeting place — a conference room at the Jacksonville Zoo — offering insights on the Pulse massacre, the pension tax referendum, and the just-concluded legislative session.

He also found time to talk to FloridaPolitics.com. Here are highlights from both:

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Regarding expectations that representatives from Orlando will call for a special session to address the tragedy at Pulse over the weekend, Bean was not in favor of this.

“We need to respect the deceased,” Bean said, advocating a “time for mourning.”

“Right after a tragedy,” he said, “is the worst time to [formulate] policy.”

A measured reaction to what happened in Orlando likely will happen next session, the senator said. “You’ll see legislative action,” Bean predicted.

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A big question Bean had: “Why did someone on the Terror Watch List have access to those guns?”

The federal government, Bean said, “needs to take a good, hard look” at its watch list and protecting America’s borders.

When asked about the fact that the victims of the massacre were predominately LGBT, Bean didn’t frame his response in those terms.

“I’m looking at them as Americans,” Bean said, adding that such an attack “could happen at the Jacksonville Zoo.”

“I support protections for all Americans,” he said, “the No. 1  job of the federal government is to keep us safe, and they’re not getting a passing grade.”

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After Bean’s interview with FloridaPolitics.com wrapped, he spoke to the group. His remarks began with a reference to the Pulse massacre.

“Let’s honor the victims, let’s give time for mourning,” Bean said. “I just want to hug those folks.”

Bean told the story, now all too familiar, of rescuers hearing the cellphones of the fallen ringing in the carnage Sunday morning.

“With each cell phone ring, there’s a family that’s hurting this week,” Bean said, before extending his “thoughts and prayers.”

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Bean went on to quickly discuss some of the accomplishments of the legislative session.

From the cohabitation ban repeal, to legislation pushing for timely testing of rape kits, to legislation relaxing “10/20/life” automatic penalties on those using firearms in self-defense (“a Bean bill”), and through numerous other bills, Sen. Bean itemized, very quickly, a lot of bills that he believed in.

One issue he spotlighted that had room for improvement: the governor’s request for a quarter-billion dollars of incentive money to “lure businesses to Florida,,” via Enterprise Florida.

“Some say that’s corporate welfare,” Bean said, but his take is “we need to go forward.”

“So many social issues solve themselves with an income stream,” Bean said.

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From income stream to revenue stream: Bean also discussed Jacksonville’s pension tax referendum, which he co-sponsored in the Senate last session.

Bean, during his remarks, said “I believe the debate will heat up.”

Indeed, it did, as he got a question on it.

Describing the pension as “part of the compensation [due] to first responders,” Bean said that his “job as a state senator was to give you the chance to vote on it.”

“I agree with the right to ask questions,” Bean said, adding that “you have a very important say going forward.”