No more massacres

Florida Governor has $500m scheme to end school shootings

FLORIDA Governor Rick Scott has said he is determined to make the Parkland school shooting the last the state ever experiences.

Mr Scott met with MiamiDade County officials on Tuesday to outline a plan to pass a school safety bill before the state’s annual legislative session ends next Friday.

Mr Scott says he wants to spend $500 million to increase law enforcement and mental health counsellors at schools, to make buildings more secure with metal detectors and to create an anonymous tip line.

Family members of slain students spoke during the news conference and a legislative hearing in Tallahassee.

The father of a slain student from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School urged people not to let the volatile gun debate stall other efforts.

“Let’s not get mired down,” said Ryan Petty, father of Alaina Petty.

“Right now, we secure our schools. Next, we figure out what went wrong.”

Also on Tuesday, a House committee approved the bill that would raise the minimum age to buy rifles from 18 to 21.

The bill would also create a program that allows teachers who receive law enforcement training to carry concealed weapons in the classroom.

National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer told the House Appropriations Committee she couldn’t support the bill because of new restrictions on gun ownership.

“Passing more laws dealing with guns as a solution to a problem that exists within the enforcement of laws is kind of silly,” Ms Hammer said.

The 23-6 committee vote came after more than four hours of discussion, including with parents of some of the 17 killed at the school.

Meanwhile, the case against accused killer Nikolas Cruz, 19, was cancelled after lawyers reached an agreement for prosecutors to get hair samples, fingerprints, DNA and photographs of him.