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Staff ReportsJuly 6, 2018

Students in 19 districts go back to school on Aug. 10, according to the Florida Department of Education. Brevard County is among those school districts resuming operation then. But, as reported by Florida Today, the district does not expect to have the necessary amount of school safety officers in all of its elementary schools at […]

Peter SchorschMay 21, 2018

No one is surprised that guns are the big political issue in Florida this year. With a deadly school shooting this week in Santa Fe, Texas, and the Parkland tragedy in February, guns and school safety are assured to be at the forefront in both Florida and nationwide for 2018. The best evidence of this […]

Danny McAuliffeMay 15, 2018

Two South Florida state lawmakers plan to ask the Legislature to increase the public education budget, which they say was insufficiently funded during the 2018 Legislative Session and anticipate a budget shortfall exacerbated by mandates passed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. The Legislature officially adjourned in March, but on Monday […]

Peter SchorschApril 6, 2018

I subscribe to a service called “Baylawsuits,” which provides tip sheets on the most newsworthy lawsuits coming out of the Pinellas and Hillsborough county courthouses. Last week, a tip came in that read “Police seized guns from two men last month.” Because of all the attention surrounding the gun-control debate after the massacre in Parkland, this […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 22, 2018

Governor Rick Scott and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam are in the twilight of their current tenures. Putnam wants to replace Scott and has been vocal in criticisms of Scott policy. Putnam vowed to bring back the drug czar position that Scott eliminated after he took office in 2011, although the commissioner was quick to point out that Scott […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 22, 2018

Adam Putnam did not support the efforts of Gov. Rick Scott and House Speaker Richard Corcoran to enact the Marjory Stoneman Douglas School Safety Act. The Republican gubernatorial candidate has also went on record during a TV interview he would “likely not” have signed the bill. Yet despite taking to NRA TV this weekend to once more condemn the legislation, Putnam […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 13, 2018

The Legislative Session ended with a flourish from the National Rifle Association: a lawsuit against the state for the newly-passed Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. The law bars most groups of people under 21 from buying guns, mandates a three-day waiting period before buying a firearm, bans bump stocks, could arm some school […]

Danny McAuliffeMarch 9, 2018

Some superintendents aren’t keen on arming school personnel, and they’ve offered a suggestion to Gov. Rick Scott to prevent the concept’s fruition. On Friday, the Florida Association of District School Superintendents President Robert Runcie penned a letter to Scott urging him to veto Section 40 of the “Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act,” […]

Scott PowersMarch 7, 2018

An attempt by Orlando Democratic state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith to get the state to provide $1 million to help build a Pulse nightclub memorial in Orlando drew some crossover votes from Republicans (including many from Central Florida) but failed in the House Tuesday night. The proposed amendment, which would have added $1 million for […]

Jim RosicaMarch 2, 2018

In a rare move, the Senate will meet on Saturday to consider school safety legislation. With the Session clock ticking down, Senate President Joe Negron announced the weekend sitting on Friday morning in a memo to fellow senators. The 2018 Legislative Session is scheduled to end next Friday. A floor session is planned for 10 a.m.-1 […]

Tag: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act

Start dates loom for schools implementing new safety laws

Janet Cruz’s school safety vote is the kind of vote that could haunt Democrats in November

Democratic lawmakers call for special session on K-12 funding

The close-to-home reason why I support the new gun laws passed by the Florida Legislature

In twilight of their time in office, daylight emerges between Rick Scott, Adam Putnam

If elected governor, Adam Putnam won’t commit to repealing gun control bill

In the face of NRA lawsuit, Rick Scott proud of gun control bill

Superintendents want Rick Scott to veto school marshal funding

Carlos Smith’s $1M Pulse memorial amendment draws some Republicans, but fails

Senate will meet Saturday to consider school safety bill