Florida leaders not leading on solutions to gun violence so far

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Within the wake of one other mass capturing at a college, Individuals are turning to lawmakers for solutions to fixing the gun crime epidemic.

To this point, Florida politicians have been gentle on options — particularly people who may generate bipartisan backing.

What’s largely been heard from them thus far are options they suppose gained’t work.

“There hasn’t been a single of those mass shootings that has been bought at a gun present or the web,” Sen. Marco Rubio stated to CNN final week. “If individuals wish to do this, we will have that debate, however don’t hyperlink it to those horrible occasions, as a result of they’d don’t have anything to do with it.”

Truly, a number of retailers report the Uvalde shooter did purchase weapons on the web within the weeks main as much as the capturing, although it’s not clear but whether or not he needed to go a background examine.

After the bloodbath at Marjory Stoneman Douglas in Parkland, Fla. in 2018, then-Governor Rick Scott signed a invoice elevating the minimal age of shopping for a rifle from 18 to 21.

Final week, Scott instructed reporters on Capitol Hill that minimal age legal guidelines needs to be dealt with by the states, however he did assist Florida’s purple flag legislation as a mannequin for the nation.

“Right here’s what I…the way in which we did it in Florida,” Sen. Scott stated. “You needed to…it offers with those who threatened hurt to themselves or any individual else, you possibly can solely undergo legislation enforcement, and also you needed to undergo the courts, and it wasn’t everlasting. And so…that I imagine in.”

Senators Scott and Rubio have additionally sponsored a invoice named after two Parkland college students that may create a central clearinghouse for the nation’s greatest options for maintaining colleges protected, although the measure doesn’t really implement any of these options.

Within the early Nineteen Nineties, President Clinton and Congressional Democrats led passage of the Brady Gun Invoice and the Assault Weapons Ban, which had been supported by some Republicans in Congress, in addition to many legislation enforcement brokers.

Within the ensuing midterm election, Democrats had been worn out: they misplaced the Senate and misplaced management of the Home for the primary time in 40 years. Ever since, voting for any laws that removes entry to weapons has made politicians quiver.

This week, Democratic candidates for Senate and Governor in Florida took differing stances on banning the assault-style rifles utilized in many mass shootings, together with the massacres in Parkland and Uvalde.

“We have to ban assault weapons now,” stated Rep. Charlie Crist, Democratic candidate for Florida governor, to applause from a crowd Tuesday morning.

Rep. Val Demings, the possible Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in November, wouldn’t go that far.

“Let me say this: the AR-15 does precisely what it was created to do,” stated Demings in response as to whether it needs to be banned. “Proper now, there’s laws that has 90% assist of the American individuals. That’s common background checks. Additionally, the purple flag legal guidelines. We will get these two issues performed.”

To this point, Republicans and Democrats in Congress have been unable to comply with any laws addressing gun violence within the wake of the Uvalde capturing.