Florida Senate panel shoots down three gun measures

TALLAHASSEE — Despite offering amendments to win Democratic support, a trio of bills aimed at relaxing gun laws in Florida were voted down by a Senate panel this week, likely killing the measures for the upcoming legislative session.

South Florida Republicans joined with Democrats on the Senate Judiciary committee to vote against legislation Tuesday to allow private schools to allow concealed carry license holders to bring guns onto campuses, to allow gun owners to check guns at lockers before entering courthouses and to lessen penalties for openly carrying firearms.

Sen. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, sponsored two of the bills but saw his legislation go down, though he chairs the committee.

He also tried in vain to insert provisions into his courthouse bill favored by gun control advocates to try to garner Democratic votes.

An amendment to the bill would have formally requested Congress and President Donald Trump to look into making it harder to buy weapons with bump stocks, which allow for more rapid fire in guns similar to the ones used in the Las Vegas concert massacre.

The provision was similar to a bill filed by Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, but fell far short of her plan to ban bump stocks altogether.

“When people are opposed to the idea of guns everywhere, it’s just not going to go,” she said. “It needs to be a standalone, up or down vote on banning bump stocks.”

Stewart added that she’s hopeful Steube will hear her bill but is wary of it becoming a vehicle for gun rights advocates to push measures relaxing gun regulations by amending such proposals to her bill.

Legislation pushed by Steube and others to allow guns on college campuses and in airports, and to allow open carry, have all failed to make it into law the past three years.

“There’s too much going on to allow open carry in the campuses and the airport,” Stewart said. “When we have experience after experience where this has caused death and destruction, nobody wants to take that on.”