In the wake of Parkland, the state of Florida did something no state should do, but especially not a pro-gun state. They passed gun control. In particular, they raised the age for buying long guns from 18 to 21. This was supposedly because the killer in that case was under 21, of course, but it's something that anti-gunners have long wanted.
Now, Florida has taken a step to fix that wrong. Unfortunately, it might be the last step it takes.
You see, while it passed the House, it's not likely to even get a vote in the Senate:
The Florida House passed a repeal of age limits for purchasing firearms, a key provision of gun control measures put in place after the Parkland shooting.
Republicans said the bill (HB 759) corrects an inequity in the law that denies 18-year-olds the ability to own a gun despite being old enough to become a police officer or enlist in the military. The bill passed on a 78-34 vote.
“To me, this bill is about the right to defend yourself, the right to keep and bear arms, the right to a well-armed militia. That’s what it’s about,” said Rep. Michelle Salzman, a Pensacola Republican who sponsored the bill. “For me, it’s not, it’s not about the tragedies.”
The Florida Legislature in 2018 passed the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, which implemented several security provisions at schools while also requiring individuals to be 21 years old to purchase or take ownership of assault-style weapons.
Former Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican now serving in the Florida Senate, signed that law in the wake of a shooting in Parkland where a 19-year-old arrived at a school with an AR-15 purchased days prior. The shooting left 17 dead, including 14 students. Scott has stood by those restrictions and publicly opposed the Florida Legislature revisiting the subject.
...
While the legislation had strong support in the House, it appears to have no path to passage in the Senate. Sen. Jay Collins, a Tampa Republican, has filed a similar bill (SB 920) in the upper chamber, but it isn’t yet on a Committee agenda. Senate President Ben Albritton, who supported the Parkland law when he served in the House, has not signaled any interest in revisiting the gun-buying age.
It's funny.
A couple of years ago, I was at a Second Amendment event down in Florida. While outside chatting with folks, I overheard one of the speakers make the claim that Florida is the freest state in the nation.
To be sure, they've got a lot of good things going for them.
However, on gun issues, they're easily the most restrictive pro-gun state in the country.
One of many measures on the books that makes that the case is this age restriction. All it does is make it so law-abiding adults under the age of 21 are restricted in exercising their rights even beyond the age limit on handguns imposed by Congress.
Never mind that the killer in Parkland had numerous brushes with the police, including multiple domestic violence calls, and just one conviction for such a crime would have kept a gun out of his hands. Oh no, we can't get into that and must punish every single adult under 21 until the end of time because the Broward County Sheriff's Office dropped the ball.
What's more, it's a strong reminder that while someone with an (R) after their name might be a better option than a Democrat, it doesn't mean they're pro-gun, as we've already seen this week.