Man, 29, accused of posting threats
Gov. Rick Scott, also a Republican. It also set up a program to train and arm some teachers and school employees, increased funding for mental health counselors and school resource officers and created a “risk protection order” allowing law enforcement to confiscate weapons of those who present violent threats.
One Republican who helped push the bill through was House Speaker Richard Corcoran, who is considering a run for governor. The NRA sent a message to its members Monday alerting them to Corcoran’s “betrayal” for pushing the bill.
He did not respond to a call seeking comment. In an effort to show he’s progun, he sent a memo to a panel considering changes to the state constitution on Wednesday expressing “grave concern” at efforts to put gun control measures on the 2018 ballot. Those efforts were defeated.
The NRA has not targeted Scott, who is termlimited but considering a run for U.S. Senate against Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson.
Despite its support among a majority of Republicans, a significant faction voted against the new law, including every Republican running in a statewide primary.
“Folks have very strong opinions about constitutional rights,” said Rep. Ross Spano, R-Dover, running for attorney general against three other GOP candidates.
He said he voted against the bill because of the gun control provisions, especially the age limit of 21 for buying a rifle, which he thinks is unconstitutional. He also wanted the “guardian” program arming staff to be mandatory for school districts.
Sen. Tom Lee of Thonotosassa, another Republican running in a statewide primary for chief financial officer, said he voted against the bill because the guardian program won’t be adopted in the most populous school districts, and the gun control provisions were “virtually meaningless” because it still allows 18- to 20-year-olds to be given guns as gifts or loans.
“I think you’ll see this will serve the politicians very well in 2018. Other than that, the teachers don’t like it, law enforcement didn’t like it, the gun control advocates didn’t like it,” he said. “And everybody’s going to spin it for what sells in their district.”
On the Democratic side, gubernatorial hopeful Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum on Tuesday accused former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham of undergoing an “election year conversion” to support gun control. Graham, too, is a Democrat running for governor.
“It would have been nice for her to support this fight when she was a sitting member of Congress,” he said. “Democrats can’t trust her on this issue.’’
Graham expressed support for the Second Amendment during her 2014 run for Congress in a conservative North Florida district that included Tallahassee. She said she doesn’t “think that any law-abiding citizen should have any gun that they choose to have taken away from them.”
But she also came out in favor of universal background checks and a limit on high-capacity magazines after the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando in June 2016. Her campaign also noted the NRA opposed her 2014 run and ran $300,000 in ads against her.
Other Democratic gubernatorial candidates have highlighted their gun control proposals, too. Miami Beach Mayor Phil Levine already has run television ads calling for stronger gun-control laws than what lawmakers approved. Winter Park businessman Chris King bashed Graham’s record on guns earlier this month, accusing her of being “less than enthusiastic” about the topic.
grohrer@orlandosentinel .com
A man was jailed Friday after investigators said he posted Facebook threats to harm Palm Beach County school students.
Jimmie Lee Jones, 29, of West Palm Beach, posted that he was “waiting on Tuesday when kids go back to school” and that he would “put Palm Beach County on code red,” authorities said.
County schools were on spring break this week.
“I’m gonna take a lot of people with me when I do decide to go through with it,” he also wrote, according to the arrest records.
Jones was arrested in a joint investigation by the West Palm Beach Police Department and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office tactical and behavioral services unit.
pmcmahon@sunsentinel .com, 954-356-4533 or Twitter @ByPaulaMcMahon