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| Florida Lawmakers Back Raising Age Limits on Assault Rifles | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Gov. Rick Scott and top state lawmakers proposed on Friday the most significant move toward gun control in Florida in decades, in defiance of the National Rifle Association, though some of their ideas fell short of what student advocates pleaded for after they lost 17 classmates and staff members last week in one of the deadliest school shootings in American history. | |
| The governor, a Republican, backed raising the minimum age to buy any firearm, including semiautomatic rifles, to 21 from 18, a restriction opposed by the N.R.A., one of the most powerful special interest groups in Tallahassee. The minimum-age limit already exists for handguns, and it would have prevented Nikolas Cruz, the 19-year-old shooting suspect, from lawfully purchasing the AR-15 the police say he used to massacre 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14. | The governor, a Republican, backed raising the minimum age to buy any firearm, including semiautomatic rifles, to 21 from 18, a restriction opposed by the N.R.A., one of the most powerful special interest groups in Tallahassee. The minimum-age limit already exists for handguns, and it would have prevented Nikolas Cruz, the 19-year-old shooting suspect, from lawfully purchasing the AR-15 the police say he used to massacre 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14. |
| Mr. Scott’s plan, largely endorsed by House and Senate leaders, would not arm teachers, though lawmakers said their proposal would create a “marshal” plan to allow teachers who have had enough hours of training with law enforcement to be armed on campus. | |
| Mr. Scott also said he would push to ban “bump stocks,” which enable semiautomatic rifles to fire faster, and would ask for $500 million for mental health and school safety programs, including requiring at least one armed police officer for every 1,000 students at public schools. | Mr. Scott also said he would push to ban “bump stocks,” which enable semiautomatic rifles to fire faster, and would ask for $500 million for mental health and school safety programs, including requiring at least one armed police officer for every 1,000 students at public schools. |
| “I want to make it virtually impossible for anyone who has mental issues to use a gun,” Mr. Scott said at a news conference unveiling his proposals. “I want to make it virtually impossible for anyone who is a danger to themselves or others to use a gun.” | “I want to make it virtually impossible for anyone who has mental issues to use a gun,” Mr. Scott said at a news conference unveiling his proposals. “I want to make it virtually impossible for anyone who is a danger to themselves or others to use a gun.” |
| The N.R.A. said on Thursday that it opposes the age restriction. President Trump said on Friday that he supports it, and Mr. Scott said he had not spoken to the N.R.A. about his proposals. | The N.R.A. said on Thursday that it opposes the age restriction. President Trump said on Friday that he supports it, and Mr. Scott said he had not spoken to the N.R.A. about his proposals. |
| Mr. Scott, who is widely expected to run for a United States Senate seat this year, also broke with the president and the N.R.A. by not endorsing putting more armed personnel in schools, an idea fiercely opposed by the students from Stoneman Douglas High. | Mr. Scott, who is widely expected to run for a United States Senate seat this year, also broke with the president and the N.R.A. by not endorsing putting more armed personnel in schools, an idea fiercely opposed by the students from Stoneman Douglas High. |
| “I disagree with arming teachers,” Mr. Scott said. “My focus is on bringing in law enforcement. I think you need to have individuals who are trained, well trained.” | “I disagree with arming teachers,” Mr. Scott said. “My focus is on bringing in law enforcement. I think you need to have individuals who are trained, well trained.” |
| Lawmakers said their plan would create a statewide commission to investigate the Parkland shooting, including failures by the authorities. | |
| The only armed security guard at Stoneman Douglas High, Deputy Scot Peterson, failed to rush into the building as the shooting took place, Sheriff Scott Israel of Broward County revealed on Thursday, a few hours after the deputy had resigned. On Friday, Mr. Trump said the deputy “certainly did a poor job.” | The only armed security guard at Stoneman Douglas High, Deputy Scot Peterson, failed to rush into the building as the shooting took place, Sheriff Scott Israel of Broward County revealed on Thursday, a few hours after the deputy had resigned. On Friday, Mr. Trump said the deputy “certainly did a poor job.” |
| Since the shooting, Sheriff Israel has ordered deputies to carry rifles on school grounds. | Since the shooting, Sheriff Israel has ordered deputies to carry rifles on school grounds. |
| The students who lobbied and protested lawmakers this week in the State Capitol wanted a ban on assault weapons, which was a nonstarter for leaders of the Republican-controlled Legislature. Democrats filed bills to ban assault weapons after the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando in 2016, and again at the start of this year’s session in January, but they were never heard. | The students who lobbied and protested lawmakers this week in the State Capitol wanted a ban on assault weapons, which was a nonstarter for leaders of the Republican-controlled Legislature. Democrats filed bills to ban assault weapons after the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando in 2016, and again at the start of this year’s session in January, but they were never heard. |
| On Friday, top Republicans in the State House and Senate said they would file companion bills on gun policy. They said the legislation would include the governor’s requests to raise the minimum age on all firearms purchases and to ban bump stocks. Going further than the governor’s plan, the lawmakers’ proposal would also impose a three-day waiting period on all firearms purchases, which now exists only for handguns. | On Friday, top Republicans in the State House and Senate said they would file companion bills on gun policy. They said the legislation would include the governor’s requests to raise the minimum age on all firearms purchases and to ban bump stocks. Going further than the governor’s plan, the lawmakers’ proposal would also impose a three-day waiting period on all firearms purchases, which now exists only for handguns. |
| House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Senate President Joe Negron announced the legislative package together — an indication that it has a good chance of passing, even though the annual lawmaking session ends on March 9. It would normally take lawmakers much longer than two weeks to vet and approve major legislation. | House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Senate President Joe Negron announced the legislative package together — an indication that it has a good chance of passing, even though the annual lawmaking session ends on March 9. It would normally take lawmakers much longer than two weeks to vet and approve major legislation. |
| Passage would require Republican lawmakers to buck the N.R.A., which says the focus after the shooting should be on keeping “violent criminals and the dangerously mentally ill” from acquiring guns. | Passage would require Republican lawmakers to buck the N.R.A., which says the focus after the shooting should be on keeping “violent criminals and the dangerously mentally ill” from acquiring guns. |
| “Legislative proposals that prevent law-abiding adults aged 18-20 years old from acquiring rifles and shotguns effectively prohibits them from purchasing any firearm, thus depriving them of their constitutional right to self-protection,” Jennifer Baker, an N.R.A. spokeswoman, said in a statement on Thursday. | “Legislative proposals that prevent law-abiding adults aged 18-20 years old from acquiring rifles and shotguns effectively prohibits them from purchasing any firearm, thus depriving them of their constitutional right to self-protection,” Jennifer Baker, an N.R.A. spokeswoman, said in a statement on Thursday. |
| Senate Democrats have vowed to attach an assault-weapons ban as an amendment to any G.O.P. gun bill, but Republicans comfortably outnumber them in both chambers. A procedural maneuver by House Democrats on Tuesday to bring a ban to the floor for consideration failed by a party-line vote. | Senate Democrats have vowed to attach an assault-weapons ban as an amendment to any G.O.P. gun bill, but Republicans comfortably outnumber them in both chambers. A procedural maneuver by House Democrats on Tuesday to bring a ban to the floor for consideration failed by a party-line vote. |
| “So long as assault rifles like the AR-15 are legally sold in this state, so long as they are not banned, their threat to civilians will remain in every school, every mall, every movie theater, every nightclub, and in every place the public gathers,” Senator Oscar Braynon II, the Democratic leader, said in a statement on Thursday. | “So long as assault rifles like the AR-15 are legally sold in this state, so long as they are not banned, their threat to civilians will remain in every school, every mall, every movie theater, every nightclub, and in every place the public gathers,” Senator Oscar Braynon II, the Democratic leader, said in a statement on Thursday. |