Political stalemate on guns looms

One year after massacre, parties split on next steps

TALLAHASSEE – In the weeks that followed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting last year, students and activists stormed the Capitol by the thousands as they demanded gun control. Republicans leaders responded by passing the first major gun reforms in 20 years.

On Tuesday, two days before the first anniversary of the shootings, Democrats released a package of new gun control measures in Tallahassee. But this time, there were only a handful of TV cameras. About 100 activists from around the state gathered to support them, and 500 activists rallied at the Capitol last week, but it was still far short of the masses that demanded change a year ago.

The Parkland massacre that took the lives of 17 students and faculty indelibly changed gun politics in Florida, often referred to as the “Gunshine State.” But today, the major parties remain firmly in their respective corners, as Republicans push bills to ease gun laws and Democrats urge measures restrict access to firearms by the mentally ill or those involved in domestic violence disputes.

Though Democrats gained a handful of seats in the Legislature in November, Republicans remain in control of both chambers. Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, who ran on protecting gun rights, won a narrow election against Democrat Andrew Gillum, who made gun control measures a major part of his platform.

Democrats know they have an uphill battle to convince their GOP colleagues to even discuss their bills, much less vote for them, but say it’s important to show activists and supporters they’re trying to stop gun violence.

“On weeks like this where there are so many conversations around gun violence prevention because of the one year mark coming up with Parkland — now is the best time for us to draw attention to these issues and redouble our efforts,” Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, told reporters at the Capitol.

The shooting drove many Democrats to run for office for the first time, including Rep. Cindy Polo of Miramar, who said her fellow freshman lawmakers are dedicated to getting something done.

“This time last year there was no way I thought I’d ever run for office, let alone be here shortly right before the anniversary of parkland,” Polo said. “The real way to honor the families that are coping with this loss and those victims that we have lost, whether it’s in a nightclub or in a school or in the streets of many of our communities, that instead of just thoughts and prayers we put it into action.”

Polo is sponsoring HB 197, which would ban firearms in child care facilities. Other Democratic bills would tighten concealed carry license requirements, add requirements to safe storage laws, impose universal background checks for all gun sales and ban assault weapons.

The measures go farther than the gun control provisions passed in the wake of the Parkland massacre last year, which banned bump stocks, prohibited rifle sales to those under 21 and imposed a three day waiting period on all gun sales. The National Rifle Association is contesting those measures in federal court in an ongoing suit.

One Republican, Rep. Mike Hill of Pensacola Beach, has filed a bill to repeal those provisions, but the measure doesn’t have a companion in the Senate yet. Rep. Anthony Sabatini, R-Howey-in-the-Hills, filed a bill to allow concealed carry permit holders to carry on college campus and carry firearms openly in public.

Other GOP lawmakers are sponsoring bills to let churches with schools on their grounds to allow guns on their premises during non-school hours.

Still, those Republican bills haven’t come up for a vote in committees so far this year, either. The session begins March 5.

But Sen. Dennis Baxley, a staunch gun rights proponent, said Republicans aren’t conceding the gun debate to Democrats.

“I don’t think there’s been a sea change,” said Baxley, R-Ocala, in an interview with the Sentinel. “I think it’s just these are actually nice, responsible people, in large, and they’re respectful that some of the folks have been through trauma, and so we’re trying to be patient. But no, we’re not giving up our Second Amendment rights.”

Baxley said he’d prefer to try to find common ground with Democrats on ways to improve school safety because on gun issues, “we’re not going to agree on that.”

The parties are also split on arming teachers. Tuesday evening, a Senate panel passed a school safety bill that would expand the “guardian” program to let trained teachers carry guns in schools by a 5-3 partisan vote, with Republicans in favor and Democrats against.

Gun control activists have also countered that the issue goes well beyond schools. Brandon Wolf, a survivor of the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016, said he’s demanding a change in the laws to prevent future tragedies.

“The time for thoughts and prayers is gone,” Wolf said. “We need common sense comprehensive legislation now.”

But arguments that laws should be crafted to reduce access to guns aren’t likely to persuade Baxley.

“You can go try to take up all the gun rights you want from people – tell me what you’re going to do in five minutes because that’s when it happens,” Baxley said. “You’ve got five minutes, three, in (the case of Parkland). Who is there? How are they empowered to act? That’s it.”